Activists blasted for saying Star Spangled Banner by slaveowner Francis Scott Key shouldn't be national anthem
Increasing calls by activists, historians, and journalists to replace The Star-Spangled Banner as the national anthem has sparked outrage on social media. The activists have suggested that the United States' national anthem should potentially be replaced with John Lennon's 'Imagine' as the current one was written by slaveowner Francis Scott Key. The calls have come amid growing protests in the US and across the world against systemic racism.
Historian Daniel E Walker and activist-journalist Kevin Powell first made the suggestion in an article written by Yahoo Music Editor Lyndsey Parker titled 'Why it might be time to finally replace The Star-Spangled Banner with a new national anthem'. The pair said that it is no longer appropriate that the lyrics of a white slaveowner, who made overtly racist remarks, should continue to be used in the country's national anthem. Powell, instead, suggested that Lennon's popular song 'Imagine' could be a good replacement, calling it the "most beautiful, unifying, all-people, all-backgrounds-together kind of song you could have."
However, the remarks have drawn outrage on Twitter by many who are opposed to the current movement. Those Twitter users have said that this is one example of how the Black Lives Matter movement is being used to "erase American history". Critics include former Fox News host Megyn Kelly who tweeted: "And...there goes the national anthem." While another wrote: "They want to remove the National Anthem and the Flag is next. People won't let them erase Truth of American History! Shame on YOU @YahooEnt".
Walker, a historian who is also an author, said: "The 53-year-old in me says, we can't change things that have existed forever. But then there are these young people who say that America needs to live up to its real creed. And so, I do side with the people who say that we should rethink this as the national anthem, because this is about the deep-seated legacy of slavery and white supremacy in America, where we do things over and over and over again that are a slap in the face of people of color and women. We do it first because we knew what we were doing and we wanted to be sexist and racist. And now we do it under the guise of "legacy."'
The lyrics of the national anthem came from the 1814 poem 'Defence of Fort M'Henry', which Scott Key wrote after watching British troops descent on Fort McHenry between September 13 and 14, 1814. Key, who was the son of a prominent white family, was reportedly inspired by the sight of the American flag flying over the battlefield. The poem became the country's national anthem in 1931.
The lyrics go: "No refuge could save the hireling and slave, From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave." Over the decades, multiple historians have disagreed on what Key meant when he referred to slaves. While some suggest that he inferred that slaves who had joined the British Colonial Marines deserved to die in the battle, others have argued that he was referring to the British forces in their entirety.
Powell, in the interview, said: "The Star-Spangled Banner was written by Francis Scott Key, who was literally born into a wealthy, slave-holding family in Maryland. He was a very well-to-do lawyer in Washington, DC, and eventually became very close to President Andrew Jackson, who was the Donald Trump of his time, which means that there was a lot of hate and violence and division. At that time, there were attacks on Native Americans and Black folks — both free Black folks and folks who were slaves — and Francis Scott Key was very much a part of that."
"He was also the brother-in-law of someone who became a Supreme Court justice, Roger Taney, who also had a very hardcore policy around slavery. And so, all of that is problematic," Powell added. "And the fact that Key, when he was a lawyer, also prosecuted abolitionists, both white and Black folks who wanted slavery to end, says that this is someone who really did not believe in freedom for all people. And yet, we celebrate him with this national anthem, every time we sing it. Francis Scott Key, he was a big-time guy in terms of the American colonization of society. This was not just a person who just lived in the time period. This is a person who helped define the time period."
The statement from Walker and Powell came after anti-racism protesters in the US toppled a statue of Key in San Francisco. President Donald Trump, however, on Tuesday, June 23, warned the demonstrators against tearing down or vandalizing problematic public statues, stating that they will have to face at least 10 years in prison if they do so.