IB 

House Calendar No. 81 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 301 

[Report No. 117–358] 

To amend title 36, United States Code, to establish the composition known 

as ‘‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’’ as the national hymn of the United States. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 13, 2021 

Mr. CLYBURN (for himself, Mr. LAWSON of Florida, Mr. AGUILAR, Ms. WILSON of Florida, Mr. BUTTERFIELD, Ms. BASS, Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, Mr. TORRES of New York, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. HORSFORD, Mr. 

RUSH, Ms. JACOBS of California, Ms. TLAIB, Mrs. LURIA, Ms. JOHNSON

of Texas, Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. VEASEY, Mr. SUOZZI, Mr. 

EVANS, Ms. LEE of California, Mr. STANTON, Ms. STEVENS, Mr. LIEU, 

Mr. KHANNA, Ms. CLARKE of New York, Mr. CARSON, Ms. WASSERMAN

SCHULTZ, Ms. DAVIDS of Kansas, Mr. KILMER, Mr. COHEN, Ms. ROSS, 

Mr. PASCRELL, Mr. SOTO, Mr. NORCROSS, Ms. NORTON, Ms. SEWELL, 

Mr. BISHOP of Georgia, Ms. JACKSON LEE, Ms. MENG, and Ms. 

SLOTKIN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

JUNE 7, 2022 

Additional sponsors: Ms. BUSH, Ms. DEAN, Mr. JEFFRIES, Mr. SAN NICOLAS, 

and Ms. WILLIAMS of Georgia 

JUNE 7, 2022 

Reported with an amendment, referred to the House Calendar, and ordered 

to be printed 

[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on January 13, 2021] 


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•HR 301 RH

A BILL 

To amend title 36, United States Code, to establish the 

composition known as ‘‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’’ as 

the national hymn of the United States. 


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•HR 301 RH

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. FINDINGS. 

4 Congress finds the following: 

5 (1) ‘‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’’ is a beloved 

6 hymn that is currently produced and distributed by 

7 approximately 40 religious publishing houses through8 out the United States. 

9 (2) ‘‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’’ is regularly 

10 sung at various religious services and choir perform11 ances at community and cultural events to commemo12 rate the struggles that have accompanied our Nation’s 

13 ‘‘pursuit of a more perfect Union’’. 

14 (3) James Weldon Johnson wrote the poem ‘‘Lift 

15 Every Voice and Sing’’ in 1899 to celebrate the anni16 versary of President Abraham Lincoln’s birthday, 

17 and his brother, J. Rosamond Johnson, set the poem 

18 to music. 

19 (4) ‘‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’’ was first per20 formed on February 12, 1900, by a choir of 500 

21 school children from the Stanton School in the John22 sons’ hometown of Jacksonville, Florida, where James 

23 Weldon Johnson served as the principal. 

24 (5) In 1905, Booker T. Washington’s recognition 

25 of ‘‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’’ helped to make it a 


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•HR 301 RH

1 very popular song in Black communities throughout 

2 the United States. 

3 (6) In 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt named 

4 James Weldon Johnson to diplomatic positions in 

5 Venezuela and Nicaragua, and when he returned to 

6 the United States, he became affiliated with the 

7 NAACP. 

8 (7) In the 1920s, the NAACP chose ‘‘Lift Every 

9 Voice and Sing’’ as its official song and it was 

10 dubbed the ‘‘Black National anthem’’. 

11 (8) In 1934, James Weldon Johnson, a graduate 

12 of Clark Atlanta University, became the first African13 American professor at New York University, and later 

14 served in a similar capacity at Fisk University in 

15 Nashville, Tennessee. 

16 (9) The lyrics of ‘‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’’ 

17 inspired the 16 foot sculpture, ‘‘The Harp’’ created by 

18 the renowned artist Augusta Savage and commis19 sioned by the 1939 New York World’s Fair. 

20 (10) ‘‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’’ is sung at 

21 gatherings of the Faith and Politics Institute, whose 

22 bipartisan programs and pilgrimages include partici23 pation by Members of Congress, and was co-chaired 

24 for many years by the late Congressmen, Democrat 


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•HR 301 RH

1 John Lewis and Republican Amo Houghton, both of 

2 whom transitioned in 2020. 

3 SEC. 2. NATIONAL HYMN. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 3 of title 36, United States 

5 Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: 

6 ‘‘§ 306. National hymn 

7 ‘‘The composition consisting of the words and music 

8 known as ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’ is designated as the 

9 national hymn of the United States.’’. 

10 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections for 

11 chapter 3 of title 36, United States Code, is amended by 

12 adding at the end the following: 

‘‘306. National hymn.’’. 


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House Calendar No. 81 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 301 

[Report No. 117–358] 

A BILL 

To amend title 36, United States Code, to establish 

Sing’’ as the national hymn of the United States. the composition known as ‘‘Lift Every Voice and 

JUNE 7, 2022 

Reported with an amendment, referred to the House 

Calendar, and ordered to be printed 


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