Lift Ev’ry Voice And Sing, traditionally referred to as the black national anthem, will be performed before The Star-Spangled Banner to kick off each game in Week 1, beginning with the September 10 season opener when the Kansas City Chiefs host the Houston Texans.
A source familiar with the league’s discussions confirmed the controversial change to ESPN’s The Undefeated on Thursday.
The NFL, in collaboration with the NFL Players Association, is also considering featuring names of victims who suffered police brutality on uniforms, helmets or patches on jerseys, the source said.
The source said the league is also considering producing educational programs about police brutality victims, among other plans.
Front Office Sports – which broke the story about the black national anthem being played before games on Wednesday – said the NFL plans to make it a ‘prominent part of big-league events’.
The outlet reported that it could be played before primetime games, the Super Bowl and the NFL draft, in addition to Week 1 games.
