Summary of the Articles

The article by Jon Schwartz from the Intercept “Colin Kaepernick Is Righter Than You Know: The National Anthem Is a Celebration of Slavery” talks about why African Americans refused to stand when the “The Star-Spangled Banner” is being played. The article that says that the Africans Americans refuses to stand for the anthem because they feel it is a flag for a country that oppresses black people and the people of color. Black people are being murdered on the streets, but no appropriate legal action is taken against the murderers. The author points out that “the Star-Spangled Banner” literally celebrates the murder of African Americans. John Schwartz continues to give the history of the “The Star-Spangled Banner” and how it oppressed African Americans, mainly through slavery. He argues that there was no mercy or justice for people of color.

Another article was written Claudette Lindsay-Habermann “Till Victory Is Won: The Staying Power Of ‘Lift Every Voice And Sing’” lifts the lid on the part of American Anthem. Claudette refers to the American Anthems as a yearlong series on songs that rouse, unite, celebrate and ensures a call to action. The author of this article talks about “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” She states that this is a song that many African Americans are identified with from church or school. But if you fail to hear it from school or church, you’ll probably hear it in some of the landmark performances. Claudette describes the history of the “Lift Every Voice and Sing” saying that it is a song about the transcending difficulties that never fully receded. It is noted from the article that across the globe, black communities continue to be vulnerable in many unique and unsettling manners. Singing the song among the blacks reminds them about the past and also gives them hope for the future, that something good might come out. The author points out that the “Lift Every Voice and Sing” was written during a time when Jim Crow was replacing slavery, and African Americans were trying to search for identity. She describes the song as a rallying cry for black communities and is considered to link all the Americans together because the Star Spangled Banner fell short of achieving that goal.

Exigencies

In the article by John Schwartz, the author tries to address the argument on why the Star Spangled Banner fails to connect with the African Americans. He interviews many people who seemingly have the same opinion towards it. The article is intended to reach the officials who raise the banner during events for people to stand for it. The exigency in this article is the need for the officials to reconsider the position of the Star Spangled Banner among the black community and investigate why it is not popular amongst them. As many black people claim, it is a celebration of the oppression that the people of color are subjected to. If this is the case, the banner should not be used because it fails to unite the Americans. The constraint the author faces is that he cannot find reasons to be unbiased on writing about the Star Spangled Banner. He seemingly does not find something positive associated with it. The article was published on August 28, 2016, by the Intercept.

In the other article written by Claudette, the author of the song “Lift Every Voice and Sing” and why it is popular among the people of color. The target audience of this article is mostly the people of color and the Americans in general. She describes the history of the song, including he crafted it, where it was first sung, and how it became popular among the black communities. It is essential to note that article calls for the need for unity and purpose as emulated by the song. The people of color were subjected to brutality and inhumanity. Based on the article, it is time to forget the past and forge a bright future together as one nation. This article was published August 16, 2018, at the National Public Radio Inc. website.

Appeals

The two authors seem to appeal for unity in the country. Jon Schwartz’ article describes why the Star Spangled Banner is not popular among the black community. Most blacks fail to stand up for the banner during events. They have their reasons for failing to acknowledge it. Most of them argue that it reminds of the past and they cannot stand to celebrate the oppression against the black people. From the article, the author indicates that many murders occur in the street against black people, but no appropriate action is taken against the perpetrators. The government should, therefore, take the initiative of uniting the Americans because the Africans Americans sometimes feel out of place and discriminated. The Star Spangled Banner should be abolished to serve the interest of the African Americans because it portrays disparity between them and their white counterparts.

Claudette also appeals for national unity by her article. She says that “the song, from a theoretical perspective, should link all Americans together” since the Star Spangled Banner failed to do so. It was missing the radical history of inclusion, an investment in the liberal vision of equality.

The argument put forth by Claudette is more effective because it clearly and logically describes the details around “Lift Every Voice and Sing” and why it is popular among the African Americans. The article is seemingly addressing the people of color and all the Americans in general, advocating for equality and togetherness. The author states that the song allows the African Americans acknowledge all the brutalities and inhumanities as well as the dispossession that resulted from slavery, that is still evident with the many cases of police brutality, disenfranchisement, and confiscation of resources and education. However, they still see a bright future, believing that something good is going to come out. The author raises the lid on some of the problems that black people face today and challenges the law enforcement and the government in general to implement policies and practices that would unite the Americans together for a bright future.

Work Cited

Claudette Lindsay-Habermann “Till Victory Is Won: The Staying Power of ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’” The National Public Radio Inc. August 16, 2018. Web.

Jon Schwartz “Colin Kaepernick Is Righter Than You Know: The National Anthem Is a Celebration of Slavery,” The Intercept. August 28, 2016. Web.