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THE NEGRO NATIONAL ANTHEM By Aaron Brown - President, Albany State College Last year I delivered commencement addresses in eight high schools of Georgia. ... In seven of these schools the printed or mimeographed promram listed Lift Every Voice and Sing as the Negro National Anthem. This practice is not peculiar to high schools, for it is done in many colleges and in most cases in civic programs. ... Shortly before his death, I received hte following letter from the author of the words to Lifc Every Voice and Sing: “In reply to the inquiry in your letter of January 16: Lift Every Voice and Sing was written by my brother and myself, to be sung by a

This type of commencement has not e entirely relegated to the morgue but we ar¢ i ful that it is headed in that direction. ... Jess ho¥® in WhE e or WO Increasing in popularity is @ much some type of commencement program the number of orations is reduced to © and in some instances to zero. ... It also affords variety and Siven & er. tunity for a large number of pupils to pal'ticippoth With the rapid development of high SCho(,l: e, the State, another feature is more and mgoye fin:in ing its place in the commencement calenday.

relieve the present congestion, and, at the same time, ample dormitory space will be provided for the con- stantly growing student body. ‘ Work has all'éady been begun upon this build- ing, and its dedication is planned at the time of the next commencement

d avoid the Commencement Rush, For Further Information, Write L. H. DUNLAP, Representative for the G. E. ... Nichols, State Supervisor Adult Education for Negroes, WPA NEGRO NATIONAL ANTHEM Lift every voice and sing, Till earth and heaven ring, Ring with the harmonious Iiberty. Let our rejoicing rise high as the list’ning skies.

When the time came to select the commencement parts he was easily chosen as valedictorian and was elected as the class poet. ... Never were words and music more fitting- ly married than is this work of the two brothers: “Lift every voice and sing Till earth and heaven ring, Ring with the harmonies of Liberty.

Was it the teacher or the subject or the fact of the approaching commencement, or all three?

Inciden- tally, Prentiss Institute will hold its Golden Jubilee Celebration (1907-1957) at its commencement THE MISSISSIPPI EDUCATIONAL JOURNAL

LIFT EVERY VOICE AND SING Lift every voice and sing, “Till earth and heaven ring, Ring with the harmonies of Liberty. ... “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” is one of his best-known poems and was set to music by his- brother, J. Rosamond Johnson. \ e Yet with a steady beat, | a0 | . * i Have not our weary feet | !

National ¢ Y ; possible and the students are given practical ex- prizes awarded at commencement time. NAEEES ould not take the place of the home, but it will . .

118 MISSISSIPPI EDUCATIONAL JOURNAL ' _.f '. ‘ MISSISSIPPI EDUCATIONAL JOURNAL e e - LIFT EVERY VOICE AND SING " CAMPBELL COLLEGE | ESTABLISHED 1890 f Lift every voice and sing Spiritual and Intellectual Development i R r ’ Till earth an d heaven ring

.: The delegation sang the Negro National hymn “Lift Every Voice and Sing” The delegates were beated by the Parliamentarian, J. L. Gant. Reports of committees and nom- inating speeches were heard.

Emma Holmes Kittles received the doc- tor of philosophy degree from Ohio State University during the fall commencement exercises. Dr.

Bethune-Cookman College 1936 ' ' BiccormnbemsTee slsnas v 7 Lol A0 R L i R W L S 6 seht ot LA S, Winter Quarter Begins 1937 - e (RS INEeT RS (O RN e UM ol Y RS e B IShEIn @ arter) Begans Junerl Ruesdayais: o Sz B -0l il s Sl %7 L o Sh bl e 3 B Commencement

The audience sang “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” prayer was offered by the Rev. R. L. Pope. Mr. Ferrell then invited all officials of the Association and then presented Supt. E. L. Robinson of Hillsborough County who delivered the welcome address.

./ The Audience sang “Lift Every Voice and Sing” thus putting into motion the second part of the Business Session. Reports were heard from the Constitution, Legislative and the Budget Com- mittees. (see Reports) The meet- ing was adjourned at 4:30.

Yes, teachers are nerve-wracking nuisances, Just taskmasters to be endured, But when commencement is over And it’s time to face the world We are all thankful so much For the knowledge and under- standing Of the most influential and dedi- cated People

Practice for plays and commencement exercises is held at other than class periods. This is an exceedingly good idea. Entirley too many schools have taken up a lot of the school session in games and in practice for plays and commencement exercises. ... I do not under-value the training received in giving plays and having commencement exercises; but these ought to be gotten up outside of regular class periods. .

means whereby there will be public money g Joseph McDaniel, Assistant to the Director of students and teachers as well as a variety of that the teachers apparently did not know why fa o for furnishing ScHES buildings the Ford Foundation, will be Commencement

All teachers assembled and sang “Lift Every Voice and Sing”. Prayer was offered by Rev. J. H. Harvey, followed by a spiritual, “Nobody Knows the Trouble I See.” The purposes of the Workshop were given by the Jeanes Supervisor, Mrs. Estella Harvey.

Public Schools; Amer- ica, The Beautiful; Lift Every Voice and Sing; Through Free- dom’s Gleam. D. Industrial Art Making of posters, elay mod- elling. 16 E.

Wrote “Lift Every Voice and 3 »” Sing P NS O =Y & (@F] 2 [= z 10. Set to music the poem ‘“Hia- watha” NATIONAL EDUCATIONAL OUTLOOK fm;u yfm[h b g ) 200 Tegh um)

I had accepted the po- sition before commencement, or, more to the point, Miss Hillman accepted it for me. A month be- fore she had called me into her office. . “Dorothy, ah Miss Jones, I have accepted a position for you.”

LIFT EVERY VOICE by Dorothy Sterling and Benjamin Quarles. The lives of Booker T. Washing- ton, W.E.B. Du Bois, Mary Church Terrell and James Weldon John- son. PIONEERS AND PATRIOTS by Lavinia Dobler and Edgar A. Top- pin.

Claryce Jordan Minor of Bat- on Rouge, Louisiana, received her Master of Science degree in Educa- tion at the 10lst Commencement of Gallaudet College, world’s only col- lege for the deaf, Washington, Ay 16445 on June 14, 1965.

this order dealing with teachers’ salaries be complied with as _follows: One-half of the differences between the salaries paid to the white teachers and the salaries paid to the Negro teachers, respec- tively, be eliminated and abolished at' the commencement

Let us hope that every teacher who has taught “Lift Every Voice and Sing” to a class knows the conditions under which it was written, not as the Negro national anthem but for a school cele- bration for a Lincoln’s Day program in Jacksonville, Florida.

.: -, School Printing Specialists © Programs ® Stationery ® Tickets @ Cards ® Forms ® Placards ® Commencement Invitations We are prepared to take care of all your school printing needs. Quotations given on any job by return mail.

Lift Every Voice and Sing. Audience. Invocation. Rev. J. N. Byrd, Pastor, Mt. Tabor Baptist Church, Miami, Florida. Selection. Dorsey High School Chorus. Greeting from Dade County Students. Charles L.

Special Features Some papers issue special editions, using tinted paper, on the occasion of some such days as May Day, commencement, Thanksgiv- ing or alumni day.

“Lift Every Voice and Sing”—Audience Standing. ¢ Invocatlon—Rev ‘W-. S Ellington. “America”’—Audience -Standing. ‘- Address. of Welcome on behalf of A. and 1. State College—Pres. W. J. Hale. Music—Selected.