Millions heard ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’ at the Super Bowl. The song, written in Jax, is celebrating 125 years

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Celebrations are underway, marking the 125th anniversary of the song “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”

It’s a song considered a solemn yet hopeful appeal for the liberation of Black Americans and it was written in Jacksonville.

Millions of people heard the song on Sunday during the Super Bowl in New Orleans when Ledisi performed what has come to be known as the “Black National Anthem.”

A festival is planned this week to honor the song that was written and first performed in the LaVilla neighborhood.

Civil rights icon James Weldon Johnson wrote the poem and his brother Rosamond put the words to music.

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The song was performed for the first time by 500 children at the Edwin Stanton School in Jacksonville, on Feb. 12, 1900.

It was prominently used as a rallying cry during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s and has been revered for decades.

The events for this week include a special performance of the song and discussions about the song’s cultural impact.

Organizers say the goal of this week is to promote a deeper understanding of the song and the work they say still needs to be done to become a more perfect union.

“One thing they will definitely take away, a deeper understanding of our differences, our cultures and our history. They will also understand the things that separate us, and the things that bind them together. The respect. The song is a call to action, meaning, it’s time for us to come together,” said Sharon Coon, Executive Director of the 125th Lift Every Voice and Sing Anniversary.

The celebrations kick off Wednesday night with a children’s choir performance at the Bethel Church.