The NFL is reportedly planning to play a song commonly referred to as the black national anthem prior to “The Star-Spangled Banner” during the season’s opening week.
“Lift Every Voice and Sing,” by J. Rosamond Johnson and James Weldon Johnson, will be played during the pregame ceremony before every Week 1 NFL game in the 2020 season, according to ESPN. The league is also considering additional initiatives to demonstrate its support for players who are trying to raise awareness about systematic racism, including listing the names of victims on uniforms.
The season is scheduled to begin Sept. 10 with a game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Houston Texans.
The plan was reported more than five weeks after protests spread across the country and around the world in response to the death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man who died in police custody on Memorial Day after a white Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin, pinned him down by placing a knee on the back of his neck for nearly nine minutes.
During this reckoning on race, the NFL acknowledged mishandling the wave of protests that began in the 2016 preseason when former quarterback Colin Kaepernick sat and knelt during “The Star-Spangled Banner” to raise awareness about police brutality and racial inequality in the United States. Kaepernick, who hasn’t played in a game since the 2016 season, inspired other players to kneel during the national anthem, drawing the ire of President Trump and many conservatives who felt that he was disrespecting the flag.
“We, the National Football League, condemn racism and the systematic oppression of black people. We, the National Football League, admit we were wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier and encourage all to speak out and peacefully protest. We, the National Football League, believe Black Lives Matter,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a video statement. “I personally protest with you and want to be part of the much-needed change in this country.”
Some NFL players, including former MVP Adrian Peterson, have indicated that they will kneel during the national anthem in the upcoming season.
