Republican Kari Lake, a former candidate for governor in Arizona, was very unhappy with the NFL for performing the " Lift Every Voice and Sing" in the pregame ceremonies for the Chiefs-Lions game, which ended with a victory for the Detroit Lions franchise by 20-21.
"I hear the @NFL is still trying to force this divisive nonsense down America's throats. I won't stand for it. Literally." Lake wrote on X (formerly Twitter). "America has only ONE National Anthem and that Anthem is color blind."
I hear the @NFL is still trying to force this divisive nonsense down America's throats.
I won't stand for it. Literally.
America has only ONE National Anthem and that Anthem is color blind. https://t.co/fFSHcp7sP1
— Kari Lake (@KariLake) September 8, 2023
"Lift Every Voice and Sing" is considered by many to be the "black national anthem" and was played at Thursday night's game before the "Star-Spangled Banner," the official national anthem.
The NFL began playing the black national anthem before games in the 2020 season after George Floyd died following a controversial encounter with Minneapolis police that sparked nationwide riots throughout the summer.
In fact, the song has been performed on major sports stages such as Super Bowl LVI and the NFL Draft in April 2021.
Critics of the song point out that the " black national anthem" seeks to divide American society, as it is used in a context where African Americans have their particular song, rather than being represented, along with the entire society, by the "Star-Spangled Banner".
