They should have told her which one to sing.Go in girl! Im not mad at you.We should sing the Negro National Anthem more often.

Sent by shion | 5:22 PM ET | 07-02-2008

I'm a 23 yr old black man and i can remeber singing the negro anthem as well. If you ask me its a lot better than the regular anthem!

Sent by jreal | 6:21 PM ET | 07-02-2008

"Inappropriate and unfortunate" - Inappropriate because she did not sing the National Anthem as requested, and unfortunate because her actions cast the Negro National Anthem in a divisive light.

Sent by Jean | 6:24 PM ET | 07-02-2008

I respect her right to sing what she wants however if you are hired or asked to perform a particular song you should honor your word. I am with her though our America is a different America than the onereferred to in the National Anthem.Peace and OBAMA FOR PRESIDENT

Sent by Sondra | 6:34 PM ET | 07-02-2008

Wow! I'm all for freedom of expression but with that also comes some repercussion. I think Rene Marie chose the wrong venue for such expression especially when she's being paid to sing the National Anthem.

In the same token, my feeling about the "Negro Anthem Flap" is we're talking about "Lift Every Voice" beyond February - that's a good thing :-)

Sent by Moji | 7:17 PM ET | 07-02-2008

I believe she made a poor decision. No...I'm sorry...that was just FLAT OUT DUMB.

Sent by CreoleInDC | 7:22 PM ET | 07-02-2008

I would have sat down and demonstrated very plainly that I will not be held hostage to something like this. This woman did this because she had a captive audience. Yeah, that sure was brave.

Sent by Ed | 8:22 PM ET | 07-02-2008

When you are asked to sing 'The National Anthem' you should honor that request by singing the anthem of the nation you are in. Governor Ritter is correct in his comments. Further the official who asked her to sing should have pulled the plug when she abused the honor she was afforded.

Sent by Charlene Wilson | 11:58 PM ET | 07-02-2008

I am so saddened by yet another "flap" because someone has the gall to say and do something truthful about race that is strong and profound instead of bleached pablum goody-goody. This song, the Negro National Anthem, is beautiful, positive and life affirming but heaven forbid anyone should equate it with our "normal" National Anthem.We just can't stomach Truth and Race together.

Sent by Si Perkoff | 12:05 AM ET | 07-03-2008

humm i would have to read the contract for sure but if it just said "national anthem" and sister sung her "national anthem" I do not see the problem. Did the contract specify a particular sonnet written by a certain, specific author? Given that there are potentially at least four national anthem[s] for the region of the northern americas between Canada and Mexico one needs to be specific with one's requests I opine.

Afterall, African descendants might scribe to "Lift every voice... "; Mexico descedants might scribe to "Himno Nacional Mexicano"; former european descendants might scribe to "oh say can you see..."; and native americans might scribe to a montage/melnage composite of all of their various tribal expressions [someone of native descendant please write and inform us if their is a native national anthem].

So, if the nation-state carved from the terrain of native american peoples wishes all its members to scribe to a single national anthem, there needs to be a consensus vote on to what that anthem should be. The current presumption of "Oh say..." being the anthem by default should be scraped given its historical tenets of genocide against the native populations and its legacy of African slavery as well as indentured servitude of some whites and Asians for the economic betterment of a select white minority of the populace. Its wars of colonialisation in the Hawaiian, Phillipine, Mariana and Puerto Rico islands.

There is a whole lot of healing and apologies that have yet to be spoke that need to be done before a single national anthem can be respectful to each and every one of the so-called citizens [in name only] of this nation-state. Otherwise, are we people of colour singing praise to a small group of former British and French fighting against their British and French forefathers across the Atlantic pond who utilised our bodies, strength and blood into death for the benefit of their "freedom" and "their economic well-being alone?

Africans in the choir, left hand fist up! and "Lift every voice and sing...."

Sent by K MJUMBE | 3:34 AM ET | 07-03-2008

Great song/Great choice. Love her for doing it. Needs to be sung more often. This is America. Sing it, dangit!

Sent by Thomas B. | 6:08 AM ET | 07-03-2008

An alternative viewpoint: This is America, and a song praising any god has no business being our national anthem. While "The Stars and Stripes Forever" has serious problems (overly fixated on flag imagery, tune is an old British drinking song, and that unearthly octave shift most people can't manage), it still has the advantage of recognizability and familiarity.

Sent by Kasreyn | 12:04 PM ET | 07-03-2008

Slow news week again?

Sent by Bill M | 12:28 PM ET | 07-03-2008

I applaud her for doing so, but I'm sure she knew that she was supposed to sing the U.S. National Anthem. Maybe if she would have done a medley, people wouldn't have been so up in arms :)

Sent by Tayo | 1:12 PM ET | 07-03-2008

When Thurgood Marshall, successfully challenged the separate but equal doctrine, I supposed the nation's direction was toward integration. It appears I was mistaken. There is now a groundswell of black separatism sweeping the dream of full integration before it, and labeling as bigots all who would object. Four generations ago, my ancestors came to the United States from Scotland. Were anyone foolish enough to ask me to sing the National Anthem, I would not consider singing Fl??r na h-Alba or Scotland the Brave (Scotland has no official anthem because they were, for better or worse, integrated with Great Britton years ago). I do not advocate for a Scottish Miss America, a United Scottish College Fund, or a Scottish alternative to Christmas. I do not advocate wearing the kilt, nor do I criticize Scotts with no brogue as not Scottish enough. What Rene Marie did was rude and divisive. Shame on her.

Sent by David Short | 2:41 PM ET | 07-03-2008

my honest opinion...I'm glad she did it

Sent by Carpool | 4:30 PM ET | 07-03-2008

LOVE IT,LOVE IT--GREAT SONG/GREAT SONG---LIFT EVERY VOICE AND SING TILL EARTH AND HEAVEN RING

Sent by Demorse | 6:06 PM ET | 07-03-2008

I was brought up with this beautiful spiritual my mother used to play it on a guartar and sing all all verses and choruses. I'm white Jewish and 63 I hope you receive this I don't know how to use a computer. It is such a beautiful song

Sent by carol randel | 9:34 AM ET | 07-04-2008

The B*** should have been taken out and horse whipped.Just another example of Obama's present standing feeding the blacks Loud and proud and f**k what the white man thinks attitude. It's all about us.

Sent by ED | 10:52 AM ET | 07-04-2008

Kasreyn: 'This is America, and a song praising any god has no business being our national anthem'

ABSOLUTELY!

Ironically those who would site a need for a separate anthem would use discrimination, racism, etc. as their basis are the same people who (having not figured out the difference btwn faith & fact) would ostracized those who would prefer not to be proselytized to at anytime, especially in a national anthem. So the 'Negro anthem' lyrics excludes many Negroes.

If you are hired to perform you should deny the request or perform as per the contractual agreement and as an artist, with the consideration of the AUDIENCE first & foremost. Note to Ms Rene Marie, this occasion wasn't about YOU. You have a right to your opinion,feelings, etc. but did you consider that many in the audience DID NOT CARE? A more useful approach would have been to negotiate an agreement where you sing the national anthem AND then extend to or follow up the Negro anthem. Probably would have been well received. Or again, simply deny the offer and recommend another artist who would have jumped at the opportunity.

Despite the power mechanism being dominated by Whites and excusing my bias, the truest American is the Black American and know one sings the anthem as meaningful, as well or as soulful. And there is a legacy of Black Americans who have sang the national anthem and paid homage to Black ownerships in the country, respecting the blood,sweat & tears that went into it all. Youtube Marvin Gaye's national anthem and check out his riff and how he claimed ownership!

To have a separate anthem designated & limited to just Negroes? Doesn't that seem like a contradiction? First of all if anyone in the audience would have come up to Ms Marie and referred to her as a Negro, chances are she would have been offended as would many of you who support the anthem. Be careful, it's a slippery slope, when you start making the case for your own separatism. People might take you serious and start accommodating you. If one follows this tribalism sentiment how far should it be taken? Go to a restaurant and be told, sorry we're limited to a 12% capacity and the Negro section is full. Or we have separate days, come back on the Negro day.

F.Douglass, S.Truth, H. Tubman, N.Turner, king, etc..etc. are the people I think about when I hear the anthem. And matter of fact ALL of them & their actions were truly American, not African. There was no concept of individual freedom in Africa at that time. Which is why they didn't want to go back. Especially if anyone of them remembered the idea being capture and marched off to the coast to be traded for those marvelous shiny objects & tasty spices that the Euros flashed to the Africa kings.

They ALL knew they were part of a grand experiment that had never been tried before anywhere on earth ever. They had the courage to not only demand but carve out their (and our) stake in it. Black Americans have been front & center from the beginning, keeping America marching towards the ideals of this grand experiment.

You know there are other aspects in the Black American narrative, outside of 'struggle'. It seems the true artist would be the ones to actualize those 'others' but unfortunately many of them, can't get outside their own heads and are relegated to polemics only.

On this 4th, be more impressed by your own American-ness than with someone who would think otherwise.

Sent by Jon J | 1:54 PM ET | 07-04-2008

We sing what we likes; We dos what we do. Anybody don't like it, they can kiss our collective Black a&&es.
After all we been through; ain't nobody can tell us what or where to do what we wants to do - what is true.

Sent by audiodramatist | 2:53 PM ET | 07-04-2008

As a black american I deem her actions wrong.. She should have sung OUR anthem at a function for us.. I AM AN AMERICAN.the nantional anthem is fine for me -- she was out of pocket...

Sent by Kim | 4:01 AM ET | 07-05-2008

Making a statement is never about doing what is expected and "proper." Clearly, Ms. Marie wanted to make a statement. So, as far as I'm concerned, it isn't about whether or not she did what she was paid (do people get paid for singing at events like this) to do.

The thing about deciding to make a statement is that sometimes it's going to resonate with people and sometimes it's going to fall flat. I think, in this instance, it fell kind of flat. But I think she had the right to try and shake things up if she's willing to deal with the repercussions of it. Honestly, I wish more people had the guts to step out there and put themselves on the line for what they believe.

Sent by Fat Lady | 5:54 PM ET | 07-06-2008

I remember when my choir sang "Lift Every Voice and Sing" at an MLK breakfast, I remember the White people in the audience sitting down after the first verse. In that case, they knew it was in the program, unlike the one in Denver.

I guess they didn't realize that, unlike the "Star Spangled Banner," we customarily sing all the verses and that it doesn't end someone saying either, "Play Ball," or "Gentlemen, start your engines!"

Sent by Matthew C. Scallon | 5:36 PM ET | 07-07-2008

I finally listened to the words of the National Anthem. This bit of a bruhaha that has been raised has propted me to look up the words to the NEGRO NATIONAL ANTHEM, print them out and hang them on the wall.
Let us all listen and learn from Rene Marie. I welcome her strength and spirit. It will do us all some good.

Jerry Baird

Sent by Jerry Baird | 3:16 PM ET | 07-09-2008

The national anthem is not for any one race. Why is it that blacks always have to make it a point to separare themselves from the rest of society; then when they are separated they say that society is leaving them out. Either you want to be a part of the country or you don't because it can't work both ways.

Sent by Charles | 7:05 PM ET | 07-09-2008

The Black National Anthem is so powerful and a witness to profound faith. The Black National Anthem has to be heard as ONE of our nation's national anthems. By just comparing the text of the two anthems, it is clear which one perpetuates the glory of war and which one perpetuates the struggle for peace against all odds. Let's sing this anthem for two hundred years; we might then become a nation acting bolder for peace.

Sent by JANN CATHER WEAVER | 12:56 AM ET | 07-10-2008

I guess if I'm invited to sing for say the NAACP and they ask me to sing a song of their choice and I agree but then sing "Dixie" every thing will stll be cool.

Sent by jrl | 8:35 AM ET | 07-10-2008

My guess is that Rene Marie wanted to make a statement and she did. However, she compromised her character and that is unfortunate. Wanting a culture to evolve and become more sensitive can be accomplished successfully in small doses (one on one). This action brought negative spinning.

Sent by Rosemary | 12:17 AM ET | 07-16-2008