On Sunday (February 12) amidst all the hoopla of the Big Game (aka the Super Bowl), Sheryl Lee Ralph kicked off the string of ceremonious moments with a moving rendition of the song “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”
Videos by American Songwriter
Also known as The Black National Anthem, Ralph performed the song from the field in Arizona ahead of what turned out to be a classic game, with the Kansas City Chiefs winning 38-35 over the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII.
The song has been a part of the pre-game in the NFL since 2021 and the performance by Lee came during the month of February, which is Black History Month in the United States. Alicia Keys first sang the song in 2021. And Mary Mary performed in 2022.
Ralph is the first performer to sing the number on the field before the game. Previously, Keys sang it in a pre-recorded video and Mary Mary sang the tune outside the football stadium.
Ralph has previously performed in the Broadway musical Dreamgirls, portraying Deena Jones, which helped her earn a Tony Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical. She is a graduate of Rutgers University. The 66-year-old artist currently stars in the ABC sitcom Abbott Elementary as Barbara Howard. That role has earned her an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.
During the performance, sign language performer Justina Miles interpreted.
“To me, that shows a major effort by the NFL to be truly inclusive, to say, ‘We’re going to represent all people. What a way to bring us all together,” Ralph said in a press statement prior to the game.
Check out the performance by Ralph below.
Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Roc Nation
