'Black National Anthem' At State Of City Stirs Heated Debate Broomfield Singer Says She Chose Song
POSTED: 3:26 pm MDT July 1, 2008
DENVER -- One of the most notable incidents from Tuesday's State of the City address occurred even before the mayor's speech began.
After the Pledge of Allegiance, Rene Marie was introduced to sing the national anthem.
But that's not what she sang.
Marie actually sang the tune of the traditional national anthem with the lyrics to "Lift Every Voice and Sing." It's a song some have called the National Black Anthem, the Negro National Anthem or the Black National Anthem.
"I wanted to express how I felt about living in this country as a black woman," Marie said.
Once she finished performing, there was a moment of awkward silence and then the crowd gave her mild applause. Marie said she understood why the audience was confused, since the song sounded familiar but the lyrics were different.
"Art is supposed to make you think," Marie told 7NEWS.
Some people were offended and others, including the mayor, were caught off guard.
"She was making an artistic expression in a ceremonial role, so obviously, that is inappropriate," Mayor John Hickenlooper said.
The Denver Mayor's Office said it wasn't aware that Marie was planning to sing that version of the song.
"As I listened to her sing, I assumed she would eventually move into the traditional Star Spangled Banner. I called her personally this afternoon to understand what happened. She explained her song was an artistic expression of her love for her country," Hickenlooper said. "I'm disappointed that this matter has been a distraction from the great work and significant accomplishments of our city employees over the past year and the many important initiatives on tap for the coming year."
"What I did say to the mayor was that there was no direspect to his office intended at all and I apologized for any trouble I caused," Marie said.
The Broomfield jazz singer said only three people at the State of the City ceremony knew she would sing the lyrics to the Black National Anthem -- her husband, her mentor and herself. It was not a song requested by the city, but a song she had deliberately chosen to perform in light of what was happening in the country, and what was happening in Denver in August -- when Sen. Barack Obama will become the first African-American to accept the nomination to become a major party candidate for president.
She said she didn't want to sing the Star Spangled Banner because "it doesn't represent me."
Marie said she didn't ask the mayor's office if she could sing the Black National Anthem because she knew she would be told no.
"An artist does not ask permission to express themselves artistically," said Marie. "You just do it and then you deal with it."
She said she knew she was taking a risk but was thinking of her parents, who stood up for desegregation.
"They took matters into their own hands and that is what you have to do. You can't wait to be asked. You can't wait for the right place, or right moment, or right platform. Sometimes you just have to do it."
"There is a place and a time for that," said Jon Caldera, president of the Independence Institute. "When you are asked to sing the national anthem at a state of state address, or state of city address or any other political function, I would expect that person to put their country first and their personal politics second."
"This woman owes all of Colorado and Denver an apology for being so incredibly rude. My guess is she is pretty proud of her high school stunt," Caldera said.
Marie said she has no regrets and would do it all over again.
There are reports that City Council president Michael Hancock, who introduced the singer, is being inundated with hate mail. He said he just met Marie on Tuesday.
As far as the mayor is concerned, Hickenlooper said he is deeply disappointed and will make sure in the future to be more explicit regarding who and what is sung at his events.
The first verse of the anthem, according to Black-Network.com:
Lift every voice and sing, Till earth and heaven ring. Ring with the harmonies of Liberty; Let our rejoicing rise, High as the lightning skies, Let it resound loud as the rolling sea. Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us, Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us; Facing the rising sun of our new day begun, Let us march on till victory is won.
The National Black Anthem song was originally written in 1899 by by James Weldon Johnson for a presentation in celebration of the birthday of Abraham Lincoln, according to AfricanAmericans.com.
