Sheryl Lee Ralph made history by performing “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” also known as the “Black national anthem,” on the field before Super Bowl LVII. The NFL has been incorporating the song into pregame ritual since 2021, when Alicia Keys sang the song in a prerecorded video. Mary Mary performed the song outside SoFi studio last year. Ralph is the first performer to do the song on the field before the game. Perhaps taken with Ralph’s penchant for singing during her Abbott Elementary award-acceptance speeches, or perhaps because the Philadelphia Eagles were playing, the NFL decided to get on the Sheryl Lee Ralph express. American 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,’” Ralph said at press conference February 9. “What a way to bring us all together.” The entire performance is available on the NFL’s YouTube page.
