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Lauren Boebert says ‘do football, not wokeness’ after Black National Anthem sung at Super Bowl LVII, Internet says ‘do governing, not racism’

Lauren Boebert claimed that by including the Black National Anthem in the schedule of performances, the league was attempting to 'divide' Americans

GLENDALE, ARIZONA: On Sunday, February 12, Republican representative Lauren Boebert of Colorado took to Twitter to express her displeasure with the Black National Anthem being performed during the Super Bowl. 'Lift Every Voice and Sing', widely known as the Black National Anthem, was performed by Sheryl Lee Ralph prior to the start of the football game.

Boebert, 36, became the first person to denounce the National Football League (NFL) for including the song, which was performed alongside 'America the Beautiful' and 'The Star-Spangled Banner'. The GOP representative claimed that by including the Black National Anthem in the schedule of performances, the league was attempting to "divide" Americans. On Sunday, February 12, she wrote on Twitter, "America only has ONE NATIONAL ANTHEM. Why is the NFL trying to divide us by playing multiple!? Do football, not wokeness."

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'If they don’t like something it’s Wokeness'

Many people online believe that Boebert's tweet generated more commotion than the performance itself. One person wrote, "Everything apparently to Boebert and her friends is 'Wokeness'. If they don’t like something it’s 'Wokeness'. Someone save this show."

One individual who warned people from retweeting wrote, "This is the Black National Anthem that Republicans are so outraged over. It's called 'Lift Every Voice and Sing', and they want it removed from the #SuperBowl. They can't stand it being taught to kids in school! Whatever you do, don't retweet it. It might upset GOP ears!" Another person tweeted, "Do governing, not racism."

A fourth person tweeted, "Here we go again. 32 million people don’t have access to healthcare (even those working multiple jobs) child poverty affects 11 million children, the for profit prison system houses the worlds largest prison population. But yea… let’s keep talking about a song."

Should you stand for the Black National Anthem?

Boebert wasn't the only person against the Black National Anthem; former television news presenter Kari Lake, the Republican nominee for president in 2022, was seen sitting down throughout the song's performance. Many people have shared their views with one individual writing, "Good, it is NOT the national anthem of America, I would stay seated too!"

Another individual wrote, "I stayed seated too, when was it? I never knew they played it. How can there be a Black National Anthem, it doesn't cover all Americans, the National Anthem does and I stand for that. And also who said you stand for that. Please people!"

A third individual wrote, "National Anthems are called National Anthems because their Anthems of Nations not races. There is no such thing as a 'Black or White National Anthem.'" This other individual wrote, "Two national anthems is destructive. Make one that is acceptable to more tribes."

What made the NFL decide to include the Black National Anthem?

The Black National Anthem, which was written more than 100 years ago, allegedly served as a rallying cry for the civil rights movement, according to the NAACP. The NFL began playing the song throughout its games in the summer of 2020, in response to the Black Lives Matter protests.

The song was first performed by students at a segregated school in Jacksonville, Florida, to honor President Abraham Lincoln's birthday and the fact that he managed the freeing of slaves during the American Civil War, according to the NAACP. The NFL sought to address what many players have regarded as systemic racism after years of protests in the wake of the 2020 racial protests following the police-inflicted deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.

The inclusion of the Black National Anthem is "an opportunity to highlight messages that are important to the league, players and personnel, and our communities," NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy told New York Times in 2021. "We've seen tremendous work done by our players to make an impact, and we can increase that through the high-visibility platform that the NFL provides," he stated.

This article contains remarks made on the internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online