“Lift Every Voice and Sing” is a historic song that many African Americans hold dear for its lyrical meaning.
In his new book, Cultural Hegemony and African American Patriotism: An Analysis of the Song, Lift Every Voice and Sing, Dr. Timothy Askew presents a thorough and extremely scholarly approach to document his assertion that the song’s author, James Weldon Johnson, intended for the song to be a national anthem as opposed to the “Negro National Anthem.” Askew spent 25 years conducting research and going through the James Weldon Johnson Collection at Yale University.
Askew, a native Atlantan, graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Morehouse College, obtained his master’s from Yale and Ph.D. from Emory.
I recently sat down with my former Morehouse classmate to congratulate him and discuss his terse and erudite tractate on the song written by Johnson as a poem in 1900. –torrance stephens, ph.d.
What made you decide to write this book?
I was talking to one of my colleagues at Spelman who said to me that she thought that I should pursue my research of this wonderful song. … That encouragement really pushed me on and also my strong interest in writing a book that explored interdisciplinary research in English, music etc.
You speak of individuality in the book, but we historically have seen our identity as a collective. How does this mesh with the message presented in the book?
… While “Lift Every Voice and Sing” for me is a masterpiece, it is not a song whose subtitle is “Black National Anthem” that I wish to push on others as the one and only representation of the aspirations of black people in America. I believe that the words of “Lift Every Voice” are [relevant] to all people in this country and in the world who have a history of struggle but who have overcome or who strive to overcome.
In some respects, the song speaks to struggle of a second class citizenry. Are we no longer second class citizens in terms of poverty, economics, health, and politics in mainstream America, and does this have anything to do with your position of finding the song unnecessary?
I have never stated that I find this magnificent song unnecessary, but I do think that the title is suggestive of racial separatism for many people. This is an important song. Some scholars who have claimed to have read Johnson’s work have made untrue statements, such as stating that James Weldon Johnson never referred to the song as an anthem. They are incorrect and should check their facts carefully. My research shows that he did refer to this song as an anthem as well as a hymn.
