Ralph, on the other hand, infused “Lift Every Voice and Sing” with the same zeal she displayed during her Emmy acceptance speech last fall.
The song has been sung in Black communities since the early 1900s and has been referred to as the Black national anthem by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
.@thesherylralph with an incredible rendition of "Lift Every Voice and Sing". #SBLVII pic.twitter.com/3iho2kTssr
— NFL (@NFL) February 12, 2023
Ralph, dressed in a red-and-black Harbijumpsuit that stretched out behind her and long red gloves, stood on a platform on the State Farm Stadium field and smiled and gestured her way through the uplifting song with theatrical verve. She led a choir through the marching cadence, bringing the anthem to a rousing conclusion.
Ralph’s acclaimed role on “Abbott Elementary” follows decades of TV work (“Moesha,” “Ray Donovan”) and a Tony Award nomination for her role as Deena Jones in “Dreamgirls” 40 years ago.
