I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 301 

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 

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. 

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: 


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

2 hymn that is currently produced and distributed by 

3 approximately 40 religious publishing houses 

4 throughout the United States. 

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

6 sung at various religious services and choir perform7 ances at community and cultural events to com8 memorate the struggles that have accompanied our 

9 Nation’s ‘‘pursuit of a more perfect Union’’. 

10 (3) James Weldon Johnson wrote the poem 

11 ‘‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’’ in 1899 to celebrate 

12 the anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln’s 

13 birthday, and his brother, John Rosamond Johnson, 

14 set the poem to music. 

15 (4) ‘‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’’ was first per16 formed on February 12, 1900, by a choir of 500 

17 school children from the Stanton School in the John18 sons’ hometown of Jacksonville, Florida, where 

19 James Weldon Johnson served as the principal. 

20 (5) In 1905, Booker T. Washington’s recogni21 tion of ‘‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’’ helped to make 

22 it a very popular song in Black communities 

23 throughout the United States. 

24 (6) In 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt 

25 named James Weldon Johnson to diplomatic posiVerDate Sep 11 2014 21:55 Feb 06, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H301.IH H301

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1 tions in Venezuela and Nicaragua, and when he re2 turned to the United States, he became affiliated 

3 with the NAACP. 

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

5 Every Voice and Sing’’ as its official song and it was 

6 dubbed the ‘‘Black National anthem’’. 

7 (8) In 1934, James Weldon Johnson, a grad8 uate of Clark Atlanta University, became the first 

9 African-American professor at New York University, 

10 and later served in a similar capacity at Fisk Uni11 versity in Nashville, Tennessee. 

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

13 inspired the 16 foot sculpture, ‘‘The Harp’’ created 

14 by the renowned artist Augusta Savage and commis15 sioned by the 1939 New York World’s Fair. 

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

17 gatherings of the Faith and Politics Institute, whose 

18 bipartisan programs and pilgrimages include partici19 pation by Members of Congress, and was co-chaired 

20 for many years by the late Congressmen, Democrat 

21 John Lewis and Republican Amo Houghton, both of 

22 whom transitioned in 2020. 


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1 SEC. 2. NATIONAL HYMN. 

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

3 States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol4 lowing: 

5 ‘‘§ 306. National hymn 

6 ‘‘The composition consisting of the words and music 

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

8 national hymn of the United States.’’. 

9 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 

10 for chapter 3 of title 36, United States Code, is amended 

11 by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘306. National hymn.’’. 

Æ 


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