▁to ▁communicate . ▁ ▁Many ▁African ▁Americans ▁sing ▁" L ift ▁Every ▁Vo ice ▁and ▁Sing " ▁in ▁addition ▁to ▁the ▁American ▁national ▁anth em , ▁" The ▁Star - Sp ang led ▁B anner ", ▁or ▁in ▁lieu ▁of ▁it . ▁Writ ten ▁by ▁James ▁W eld on ▁Johnson ▁and ▁John ▁Ros am ond ▁Johnson ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 0 ▁to ▁be ▁performed ▁for ▁the ▁birth day ▁of ▁Abraham ▁Lincoln , ▁the ▁song ▁was , ▁and ▁continues ▁to ▁be , ▁a ▁popular ▁way ▁for ▁African ▁Americans ▁to ▁recall ▁past ▁strugg les ▁and ▁express ▁eth nic ▁solid ar ity , ▁faith , ▁and ▁hope ▁for ▁the ▁future . ▁The ▁song ▁was ▁adopted ▁as ▁the ▁" N eg ro ▁National ▁Anth em " ▁by ▁the ▁NA AC P ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 9 . ▁Many ▁African - American ▁children ▁are ▁taught ▁the ▁song ▁at ▁school , ▁church ▁or ▁by ▁their ▁families . ▁" L ift ▁Ev ' ry ▁Vo ice ▁and ▁Sing " ▁tradition ally ▁is ▁s ung ▁immediately ▁following , ▁or ▁instead ▁of , ▁" The ▁Star - Sp ang led ▁B anner " ▁at ▁events ▁hosted ▁by ▁African - American ▁churches , ▁schools , ▁and ▁other ▁organizations . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century , ▁as ▁the ▁result ▁of ▁the ▁black face ▁min st rel ▁show , ▁African - American ▁music ▁entered ▁main stream ▁American ▁society . ▁By ▁the ▁early ▁ 2 0 th ▁century , ▁several ▁musical ▁forms ▁with ▁orig ins ▁in ▁the ▁African - American ▁community