NFL says it will play Black national anthem before games again this season

The NFL has vowed to once again feature “Lift Every Voice And Sing,” long referred to as the Black national anthem, prominently this season.

The NFL is continuing its 10-year, $250 million pledge to fight racism by playing the song before certain “tentpole games,” including the NFL playoffs, NFL draft and Sept. 9 NFL kickoff game. Additionally, the league will promote social justice through signage, player helmet decals and PSAs, Front Office Sports reports.

“They’re bringing back a lot of elements from last year,” a source told the outlet. 

Last season, the NFL featured the song before “The Star-Spangled Banner” at some games, including at Super Bowl 55 in February. During a performance by Alicia Keys, players from the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers linked arms in unity, FOX News reports.

The league began the practice of implementing “Lift Every Voice And Sing” as the Black Lives Matter protests took the country by storm, and in response to backlash over how the NFL handled kneeling protests.

“We, the National Football League, believe Black lives matter. … Without Black players there would be no National Football League,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in an apology video message last year in which he addressed the criticism.