Information About The Song "Lift Every Voice And Sing" That Is Called "The Black National Anthem" & Why It Is Performed During Super Bowl Halftime

Entertainment Tonight, Feb 8, 2026

Coco Jones belts a powerful rendition of 'Lift Every Voice and Sing' at Super Bowl LX (airing on NBC, Telemundo and Peacock), rocking an outfit that pays tribute to Whitney Houston. The look, designed by Coco and Karl Kani, is a nod to the tracksuit Whitney wore when she sang the National Anthem in 1991.

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Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post showcases a performance of the song "Lift Every Voice And Sing" during Super Bowl half time. "Lift Every Voice And Sing" Is Called "The Black National Anthem".

This post presents the lyrics to "Lift Every Voice And Sing" along with some information about why it has become a tradition to perform that song during the Super Bowl halftime.

In addition, this pancocojams post lists the performers of "Lift Ever Voice And Sing" during Super Bowl halftimes and the year that they performed that song. 

The Addendum to this post showcases a YouTube video of Whitney Houston singing "The Star Spangled Banner" during Super Bowl half time in 1991. Coco Jones, who sang "Lift Every Voice And Sing" at the Super Bowl half time in 2026 designed her dress in tribute to Whitney Houston.  

The content of this post is presented for historical, socio-cultural, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to James Weldon Johnson, the composer of "Lift Every Voice And Sing" in 1900 for his musical and cultural legacy. Thanks to all those who are featured in these videos and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to the publishers of these videos on YouTube.
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Click https://civilrightssongs.blogspot.com/2014/11/lift-every-voice-and-sing-lyrics.html for information, lyrics, and videos of "Lift Every Voice And Sing". "Civil Rights Songs" is another blog that I curate.

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LYRICS -LIFT EVERY VOICE AND SING

(James Weldon Johnson)

Lift every voice and sing,
Till earth and heaven ring,
Ring with the harmonies of Liberty;
Let our rejoicing rise
High as the list’ning skies,
Let it resound loud as the rolling sea.
Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us,
Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us;
Facing the rising sun of our new day begun,
Let us march on till victory is won.

Stony the road we trod,
Bitter the chast’ning rod,
Felt in the days when hope unborn had died;
Yet with a steady beat,
Have not our weary feet
Come to the place for which our fathers sighed?
We have come over a way that with tears has been watered.
We have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered,
Out from the gloomy past,
Till now we stand at last
Where the white gleam of our bright star is cast.

God of our weary years,
God of our silent tears,
Thou who hast brought us thus far on the way;
Thou who hast by Thy might,
Led us into the light,
Keep us forever in the path, we pray.
Lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met Thee,
Lest our hearts, drunk with the wine of the world, we forget Thee;
Shadowed beneath Thy hand,
May we forever stand,
True to our God,
True to our native land.
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From http://www.shmoop.com/lift-every-voice-and-sing/meaning.html
...“Lift Every Voice and Sing” was written by a school principal and first performed by 500 children in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1900.Though unveiled as part of a community celebration in honor of Abraham Lincoln’s birth, the song quickly spread outside the community of Jacksonville. Within a decade, black school children across America were singing the song, and in 1919, the recently formed National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) adopted “Lift Every Voice and Sing” as its official song. Today, the song is frequently described as the “African American National Anthem.”

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WHY "LIFT EVERY VOICE AND SING" IS PERFORMED DURING THE SUPER BOWL HALF TIME 
From https://www.nbcdfw.com/super-bowl/coco-jones-black-national-anthem-super-bowl/3980493/

Grammy winner Coco Jones sang the tune ahead of the Super Bowl on Sunday.

By NBC Staff • Published February 8, 2026 • Updated on February 8, 2026
" "Lift ev'ry voice and sing," a song often called the Black national anthem, was sung before the Super Bowl for the sixth year in a row Sunday.

This year, Grammy winner and former Disney child star Coco Jones had the honor of singing the song before America's big game.

The inclusion of the Black national anthem, along with "The Star Spangled Banner" and "America The Beautiful," has been met with both praise and criticism.

But the tradition continues nonetheless.

[...]

Why is the Black national anthem sung before the Super Bowl?

The NFL began having a singer perform "Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing" before the Super Bowl in 2020, in the wake of racial and social justice protests in the United States following the death of George Floyd.

At the time, the NFL committed to singing the Black national anthem before the "Star Spangled Banner" ahead of every NFL game during Week 1 of that season.

What is the Black national anthem and why is it important?

"Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing" was originally written as a poem by James Weldon Johnson, but his brother J. Rosamond, turned it into music. The song was performed for the first time in 1900, not long after it was written.

The NAACP dubbed “Lift Every Voice and Sing” as the Black national anthem in 1919, more than a decade before "The Star Spangled Banner" was named the national anthem.

The song quickly became a popular song during the civil rights movement, and was even sung by crowds following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963.”…

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AI OVERVIEW - HOW OFTEN HAS "LIFT EVERY VOICE AND SING" BEEN PERFORMED DURING SUPER BOWL HALFTIME?

AI Overview

"Lift Every Voice and Sing" has been performed at the Super Bowl for six consecutive years, starting in 2021 and continuing through 2026. The song, often referred to as the Black national anthem, has become a regular pre-game performance to promote social justice and diversity.

Performers by Year:

2026 (Super Bowl LX): Coco Jones

2025 (Super Bowl LIX): Ledisi

2024 (Super Bowl LVIII): Andra Day

2023 (Super LVII): Sheryl Lee Ralph

2022 (Super Bowl LVI): Mary Mary

2021 (Super Bowl LV): Alicia Keys (pre-recorded)

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ADDENDUM - Whitney Houston - Star Spangled Banner (National Anthem) - Super Bowl 1991 - 4K REMASTERED

WhitneyandMariahRemasters, Premiered Jan 7, 2024

[...]

I edited the video and took me more than 4 weeks for that. Also, I edited the color, put more bright, and I upscale the video to a 4k60fps quality. I also, edited the audio to make something a little new that is different from youtube. I don't want money, all the rights belong to Sony Music. I also gonna credit the owners by putting the link to buy the official CD: **** Thanks for visiting pancocojams. Visitor comments are welcome.

Bad Bunny's Super Bowl Halftime Show 2026 (YouTube video, information, and two excerpts of reviews of that show)

news.com.au, Feb. 8, 2026
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Click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6FuWd4wNd8 for the complete NFL  and Mundo NFL video of Bad Bunny's 2026 Super Bowl Halftime show. That  video is prohibited from being embedded on another website.

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Edited by Azizi Powell

Latest update - February 10, 2026

This pancocojams post showcases a link to a YouTube video of Bad Bunny's Super Bowl Halftime Show 2026 (full video, information about the Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny., and two article excerpts of that Halftime show.

This post also includes information about the results of that Super Bowl game.

The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Bad Bunny for his musical and cultural legacy. Thanks to all those who participated in that Super Bowl Halftime show and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to the publisher of this video on YouTube.
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From https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/47822193/2026-super-bowl-lx-patriots-seahawks-live-highlights-results "Super Bowl 2026 highlights: Seahawks capture second Lombardi with 29-13 win over Patriots"

ESPN staff, Feb 8, 2026, 10:46 PM ET

"SANTA CLARA -- For the second time in franchise history, the Seattle Seahawks are Super Bowl champions.

Led by their defense and Super Bowl MVP running back Kenneth Walker III, the Seahawks stymied the New England Patriots 29-13 in Super Bowl LX. Nicknamed the "Dark Side," the Seahawks' defense wreaked havoc on regular-season MVP runner-up quarterback Drake Maye, sacking him six times and forcing him to turn the ball over three times."...

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INFORMATION ABOUT BAD BUNNY
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bad_Bunny
"Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio …; born March 10, 1994), known professionally as Bad Bunny, is a Puerto Rican[a] rapper, singer, record producer, and occasional professional wrestler.[4] Dubbed the "King of Latin Trap", Bad Bunny is credited with helping Spanish-language rap music achieve mainstream popularity worldwide. He is considered one of the best Latin rappers of all time.[5][6]

[…]

El Último Tour Del Mundo (2020), Bad Bunny's third solo album, became the first all-Spanish language album to top the Billboard 200, while its lead single, "Dakiti", reached the top ten of the Hot 100. His fourth solo album, Un Verano Sin Ti (2022), spent 13 weeks atop the Billboard 200, was named the best-performing album of the year, and became the first Spanish-language album to be nominated for the Grammy Award for Album of the Year. He followed it with the Billboard 200 number-one albums Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana (2023) and Debí Tirar Más Fotos (2025); the latter became the first Spanish-language album to win the Grammy Award for Album of the Year. He headlined the Super Bowl LX halftime show in 2026.

His accolades include six Grammy Awards, seventeen Latin Grammy Awards, eight Billboard Music Awards, and thirteen Lo Nuestro Awards. He was crowned Artist of the Year by Billboard in 2022 and 2025. He was the most-streamed artist on Spotify from 2020 to 2022 and 2025; he was second in 2023 and third in 2024. Outside of music, he occasionally performs in professional wrestling. Bad Bunny began making appearances on WWE programming in 2021 and made his in-ring debut at WrestleMania 37. He is a one-time WWE 24/7 Champion and has wrestled at the 2022 Royal Rumble and the 2023 Backlash pay-per-view events. Bad Bunny has also starred in multiple films, including Bullet Train (2022), Cassandro (2023), Caught Stealing (2025), and Happy Gilmore 2 (2025)."...

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TWO REVIEWS OF BAD BUNNY'S SUPER BOWL HALFTIME SHOW

These excerpts are given in no particular order and ae numbered for referencing purposes only.

EXCERPT REVIEW #1
From https://apnews.com/article/bad-bunny-super-bowl-2026-halftime-show-review-fbcd3dff50a4c6b0548bfa4712677eb0 "Review: Bad Bunny brought Puerto Rico’s history and culture to a revolutionary Super Bowl show" by Maria Sherman, February 8, 2026
"The sun hung low when Bad Bunny emerged in Puerto Rico’s sugar cane fields during his halftime show, surrounded by jíbaros in pavas (rural farmers in traditional straw hats), viejitos playing dominos (an affectionate term for older men) and a piragua stand (shaved ice) — undeniable symbols of Puerto Rico.

From a small Caribbean island with a complicated colonial history, to the world: The artist born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio brought Puerto Rican culture to the Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, for his 2026 Super Bowl halftime show in what was always going to be a landmark moment for Latinos.

He started with his huge reggaeton-and-then-some hits, “Tití Me Preguntó” moving into “Yo Perreo Sola,” as he remerged on top of the casita (“little house”) from his Puerto Rican residency — Cardi B, Jessica Alba, Pedro Pascal, Karol G, Young Miko, Ronald Acuña Jr., Alix Earle and Dave Grutman were guests at his pari de marquesina (“house party.”)

[…]

For around 13 minutes during the halftime show sponsored by Apple Music and Roc Nation, all eyes on the field — and around the world — were on Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio.

Bad Bunny performed entirely in Spanish — as all of his music is recorded in the language, though he has collaborated with English-language artists. The only English singing came from Gaga.

He did speak in English at the end of the set, however, when he said, “God Bless America,” and then named countries in the Americas: “Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Brazil” and so on, including the United States and Canada — a reminder that while it is common to use “America” as a synonym for the U.S. in the U.S., it is the name used across two continents.

“And my motherland, mi patria, Puerto Rico, seguimos aquí.” In English, “My homeland, Puerto Rico, we are still here.”

Behind him, a screen read “The only thing more powerful than hate is love” in English text, a direct reference to one of his recent speeches at the 2026 Grammys.

He ended with “DtMF” as he walked out of the stadium, joined by musicians with güiros (a percussive instrument made of a hollow gourd) and panderetas (tambourines, a symbol of plena.)

For years, Bad Bunny has been one of the most-streamed artists on the planet. And on Sunday, he made it clear that his global popularity translates seamlessly to the biggest stage in the U.S. (Though he is no stranger to it. He previously appeared during the halftime show at Super Bowl LIV in 2020 alongside Jennifer Lopez and Shakira. He sang in Spanish alongside two artists whose bilingual hits helped usher in a crossover era for Latin music in the ’00s.)

Consider Bad Bunny’s 2026 halftime performance the cherry on top of a huge moment for the 31-year-old global superstar, who just 10 years ago was working at an Econo supermarket in Puerto Rico."

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EXCERPT REVIEW #2
From https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/feb/08/bad-bunny-super-bowl-half-time-show-review "Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl half-time show review – a thrilling ode to Boricua joy"

The Grammy-winning Puerto Rican megastar delivered a powerful, detail-packed performance that paid tribute to his history and teased more greatness for his future

by Stefanie Fernández, 8 Feb 2026 
"When the NFL announced in September that Bad Bunny would perform at the Super Bowl half-time show, the immediate expectation was that Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio would Make a Statement.

There was, of course, backlash from the people who think a performance in Spanish is un-American (all while Puerto Rico remains a US territory). But there was also criticism from those who argued that, post-Kaepernick, there is no performance on an NFL stage that could meaningfully challenge the power whose invitation into its center of capital and nationalism these artists accepted. And as we’ve reached peak Bad Bunny this week, Puerto Ricans have pointed out that many fans’ investment in the island ends with the artist.

Still, 2025’s Debí Tirar Más Fotos was the monumental latest entry in Bad Bunny’s documentation of Puerto Rican struggle. Its sober caution against the erosion of a Puerto Rico for Puerto Ricans amid foreign tax incentives and mass economic displacement; its honoring of Afro-Puerto Rican modes of musical storytelling and resistance in bomba and plena; its 31-show residency at el Coliseo de Puerto Rico in lieu of an international tour brought millions into the island’s economy. All of it was in solemn devotion to never compromising his land, identity or history.

The Super Bowl half-time show is inherently about compromise. But as he kicked off the Benito Bowl, somehow, Benito’s biggest compromise seemed to be the amount of words bleeped out of his verse.

A young man carrying a Puerto Rican flag before a sea of sugarcane opened with a benediction for all of us: “Qué rico es ser Latino. Hoy se bebe,” (“How sweet it is to be Latino. Today we drink”) echoing Benito’s unquestionably most unbroadcastable song (more on this in a moment).

Dressed in white like everyone else – and in a gorgeous bespoke Ocasio jersey-suit-jacket emblazoned with his mother’s birth year, 1964 – Benito proved many Kalshi betters correct with Titi Me Preguntó, the blueprint of Benito’s many-girlfriended persona.

Around him, he’s built an entire ecosystem of community: los viejos playing dominos, street vendors selling coco frío, piraguas, and tacos (sold by Los Angeles’s actual Villa’s Tacos), boxers Xander Zayas and Emiliano Vargas in the fight, a man proposing to his girlfriend just as the femme-forward Yo Perreo Sola starts. “Las mujeres en el mundo entero,” he says, “perreando sin miedo”. (“The women in the whole world, perreando without fear.”) Behind him, at la casita he built in the image of a house on the island, is a yearbook of stars, including but certainly not limited to: Karol G, Pedro Pascal, Cardi B, Jessica Alba, Young Miko, and Alix Earle.

Just when this couldn’t get rowdier, Benito falls through the roof into la casita, disoriented as a mix of reggaetón’s all-time heaviest unfolds, among them Tego Calderón’s Pa’ Que Retozen, Don Omar’s Dale Don, and obviously, Daddy Yankee’s Gasolina, then joined by his own ultraheavy EoO. The show at large is a dizzying reminder of the many pantheons of Puerto Rican legends – in reggaetón, in salsa, in jíbaro music – that Benito is succeeding and never letting history forget.

[…]

Benito delivered on his music’s promise of displaying the reality of Puerto Rican life: in a stunning performance of El Apagón, Benito runs the light-blue flag of Puerto Rican independence across the field, as performers on power lines evoke the frequent blackouts on the island as a result of its decaying energy infrastructure. This somber reminder shifts quickly to the jubilant call-and-response of Café Con Ron as Benito is joined by Los Pleneros de la Cresta.

“God bless America,” Benito proclaims as he progresses to the finish, promptly naming Chile, Argentina, and all of South and Central America and the Caribbean before finishing with the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. “Seguimos aquí,” (“We’re still here”) he closes, spiking a football that says: “Together, we are America.”

[…]

Baked into the politics of Debí Tirar Más Fotos is the immutable condition that Puerto Rico cannot be subsumed into the United States or Americanness; across his discography, he has highlighted the dispossession of Caribbean identity, labor, and jerga (slang) that comes when the American imagination tries to absorb, or blur out of focus, its cultures.

This isn’t Benito’s first time performing at the half-time show. In 2020, he was a guest of Jennifer Lopez and Shakira at Super Bowl LIV in Miami; the performance was at best a defiant celebration of two Latina giants of the 21st century, and with its protest element attributed to the cages dotting the field around them, made a show of Latine oppression at worst. Where did that conversation lead us? And for whose benefit?

A lot of violent realities for our communities continue outside. The Super Bowl will never televise the revolution. But this year, Benito reminded so many of us of the love, the community and the absolute joy that we create together every day in spite of everything else."

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UPDATE- February 10, 2026; Statistics Regarding Number Of Super Bowl Halftime Views

Heather Cox Richardson, February 9, 2026, https://heathercoxrichardson.substack...
"Last night’s thirteen-minute Super Bowl half-time show featuring Bad Bunny had more watchers than any other halftime show in history: an estimated 135 million watched live, while millions more have streamed it since. Rapper, singer, and record producer Bad Bunny, whose given name is ​​Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, is from Puerto Rico, and rocketed to prominence with the release of his first hit single on January 25, 2016. On February 1, 2026, just a week before the halftime show, Bad Bunny made history by being the first artist to win Album of the Year at the Grammys for an album recorded in Spanish."….

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Visitor comments are welcome.

Blues Guitarist Etta Baker - "Railroad Bill" (with information about Etta Baker & Information About "Railraod Bill" outlaw/folk hero and folk songssongs)

 
Appalshop Archive, Nov 2, 2021

excerpt from a concert by Etta Baker and John Jackson at Seedtime on the Cumberland 1997. Full video here: https://www.appalshoparchive.org/Deta

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Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post presents some information about African American blues guitarist Ella Baker.

This post also presents information and comments about the "Railroad Bill" songs about the African American outlaw/ folk hero. This post also presents lyrics for some "Railroad Bill" songs. 

This post is a continuation of a five part pancocojams series about Railroad Bill songs that I published in 2012. 

Here are the links to the 2012 pancocojams posts about :

https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/09/riley-puckett-railroad-bill-information.html
 Part I provides general information about the man known as "Railroad Bill". That post provides a sound file and lyrics to the version of this song that was recorded in 1924 by Anglo-American vocalist/musician Riley Puckett. An addendum to this post also provides notes about other verses of that song or variants of that song that were collected in the early 20th century.

http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/09/roba-stanley-railroad-bill-information.html 
Part II provides lyrics of a 1924 version of "Railroad Bill" by Roba Stanley. Part II also provides general information about the man that was known as "Railroad Bill". Click 

http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/09/will-bennett-railroad-bill-information.html.
Part III provides lyrics of a 1929 song by Will Bennett. This is the first version of this song that was recorded by a Black person.

http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/09/frank-hutchison-railroad-bill.html 
Part IV provides a sound file & lyrics of this song by Frank Hutchinson. 

http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/09/lonnie-donegan-railroad-bill-with.html
Part V provides a sound file and lyrics of this song by Lonnie Donegan, who was a prominent British Skiffle vocalist. Information about Skiffle music is also provided in that post. 

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The content of this post is presented for folkloric, historical, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Etta Baker for her musical legacy and thanks to all those who composed "Railroad Bill" songs, performed "Railroad Bill" songs, and/or  collected and wrote about "Railroad Bill" songs. Thanks also to the publisher of this sound file on YouTube.

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INFORMATION ABOUT ETTA BAKER
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etta_Baker
"Etta Baker (March 31, 1913 – September 23, 2006) was an [African American] Piedmont blues guitarist and singer from North Carolina.

[...]

Baker was first recorded in the summer of 1956, after she and her father happened across the folksinger Paul Clayton while visiting the Cone mansion, in Blowing Rock, North Carolina, near their home in Morganton. Baker's father asked Clayton to listen to his daughter playing her signature "One Dime Blues". Clayton was impressed and arrived at the Baker house with his tape recorder the next day, recording several songs.[7] Clayton recorded five solo guitar pieces by Baker, which were released as part of the 1956 album Instrumental Music of the Southern Appalachians, one of the first commercially released recordings of African American banjo music.[1] Baker was not monetarily compensated for these early recordings. Only after working with the Music Maker label later in life was she able to get rights back for this music.

Awards and honors

Baker received the North Carolina Folk Heritage Award from the North Carolina Arts Council in 1989, a National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts in 1991,[8] and the North Carolina Award in 2003. She was nominated for several Blues Music Awards (formerly the W. C. Handy Blues Awards): in the Traditional Blues Female Artist category in 1987 and 1989, and her album Railroad Bill in the Acoustic Album category in 2000.[9] Along with her sister, Cora Phillips, she received the Brown-Hudson Folklore Award from the North Carolina Folklore Society in 1982.[10]"...

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INFORMATION AND COMMENTS ABOUT "RAILROAD BILL"
These online sources are given in no particular order and are numbered for referencing purposes only.

ONLINE SOURCE #1
From https://balladofamerica.org/railroad-bill/ "Railroad Bill: About the Song" by Matthew Sabatella [no publishing date given; retrieved February 8, 2026
" "Railroad Bill" is a blues ballad that dates to the 19th century and has been performed and recorded by many folk artists throughout the 20th century. People have conjectured that the subject of the song is an African American outlaw named Morris Slater who robbed freight trains in the 1890s. Slater's nickname was Railroad Bill. Only a few of the song's dozens of stanzas seem to refer specifically to Slater's activities. The majority of the stanzas are quite general. Was "Railroad Bill" written about Slater? Or did Slater get his nickname from what was a preexisting song, with the verses specific to him being added later?

Historical Background

Stories about Morris Slater began to surface in newspapers in 1895. Slater robbed freight trains, primarily in Alabama and western Florida along the Louisville & Nashville Railroad line. His method was to throw merchandise off moving railroad cars and pick it up later. Slater allegedly killed at least two sheriffs as they, and a succession of detectives and railroad officers, tried to apprehend him. He was shot to death in Tidmore and Ward's General Store in Atmore, Alabama, by Constable McGowan and storekeeper Bob Johns on March 7, 1897.

While most people condemned Slater's crimes, a minority of African Americans in Alabama admired him and turned him into a folk hero. Like the legend of Jesse James, they said he gave the food he stole to poor blacks. Also like the legend of Jesse James, no one has found evidence of this. Some people even attributed supernatural powers to Slater, claiming that he could change form into an animal to escape capture or that he could only be killed by a "solid silver missile."

That Slater could be viewed as a hero and a martyr is not surprising, considering the racial and economic divide in the post-Reconstruction Deep South.

Song History

The song "Railroad Bill" seems to be related to other 19th century songs of African American origin about characters named Bill, including "Roscoe Bill," "Shootin' Bill," and "Buffalo Bill." Some lyrics are shared among these songs. This type of common "floating" stanza is a characteristic of blues ballads and other types of folk songs."...

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ONLINE SOURCE #2 [This excerpt is included in Part I of the 2012 pancocojams "Railroad Bill" series whose link is given above] 
From From http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/face/Article.jsp?id=h-1258
"The legend of Railroad Bill arose in the winter of 1895, along the Louisville and Nashville (L&N) Railroad line in southern Alabama. Based loosely on the exploits of an African American outlaw known as "Railroad Bill," tales of his brief but action-filled career on the wrong side of the law have been preserved in song (see lyrics), fiction, and theater. He has been variously portrayed as a "Robin Hood" character, a murderous criminal, a shape shifter, and a nameless victim of the Jim Crow South. He was never conclusively identified, but L&N detectives claimed he was a man named Morris Slater, and some residents of Brewton believed him to be a man called Bill McCoy who was shot by local law enforcement.

Stories about Railroad Bill began to surface in early 1895, when an armed vagrant began riding the L&N boxcars between Flomaton and Mobile. He earned the nickname "Railroad Bill," or sometimes just "Railroad," from the trainmen who had trouble detaining the rifle-wielding hitchhiker...

Railroad Bill was a symbol of the racial and economic divide in the post-Reconstruction Deep South. During this period of increasing legal segregation in Alabama and the rest of the South, the hunt for Railroad Bill became a theatrical white supremacist saga in local newspapers. The outlaw's legacy has been passed down through generations in many cultural representations. Railroad Bill blues ballads began circulating in the early twentieth century; one was recorded by Riley Puckett and Gid Tanner in 1924. Musicologist Alan Lomax recorded a version of Railroad Bill by Payneville native Vera Ward Hall in 1939. Blues singers have used "Railroad Bill" as a stage name, and the popularity of the ballads exploded during the folk revival of the 1950s and 60s. In 1981, the Labor Theater in New York City produced the musical play Railroad Bill by C. R. Portz”."...

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ONLINE SOURCE #3
From https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=21456
[These comments were given in response to the question "Does anyone know the song "Railroad Bill?"...Numbers for these comments are added for referencing purposes only.
The comment that is given as #2 below is from a man who indicates that he is a great-grand child of the man who was called "Railroad Bill".

Also, I wrote the last two comments that I'm quoting from this discussion thread in 2005.]

1. Subject: Railroad Bill
From: Stewie
Date: 15 May 00- 10:17 PM

"I don't know much about it except that it was a favourite in both the black and white traditions. The Traditional Ballad Index gives its earliest date (printed or recorded) as 1927. The writer of the note for the Ballad Index rejects as 'unproven' the theory that it related to a notorious badman by the name of Morris Slater (also known as Railroad Bill) who terrorised Florida and Alabama in the 1890s. However, Stephen Calt, in his notes to 'The Late Bill Williams: Blues, Rags and Ballads' Blue Goose 2013, had no hesitation in saying that it was 'a salute to a once-notorious Alabama train robber and one of the most famous pieces in black folk tradition'. Bill Williams' recording of the song is splendid - he was first discovered and recorded in 1970 in Kentucky when he was in his 70s! In 'American Ballads and Folk Songs' the Lomaxes give a text and tune of the song from the black tradition. They assert that Railroad Bill was a completely legendary character. They point out that it is interesting that, in the song, he is captured by another black after eluding white law officers. The song has verses like: Railroad Bill mighty bad man Shoot dem light out o' de brakeman's han' It's dat bad Railroad Bill The entry in the DT refers to versions by white singers such as Cisco Houston and Ramblin' Jack Elliott. The earliest recording by a white artist was that by the great bluesman from West Virginia, Frank Hutchison. Frank recorded his version at his last recording session in 1929. It has been reissued on CD 'Old-Time Music from West Virginia' Document DOCD 8004." ** 2. Subject: RE: Help: Railroad Bill From: GUEST,C.B. Date: 22 Jan 05 - 04:34 AM "This may or may not be of interest to anyone who is wondering who Railroad Bill was. I have recently found out that I am a great grandchild of Railroad Bill. Morris Slater is Railroad Bill's real name. I do not know anything about his family origin, but I do know that he came from out West before he showed up in the Alabama/Florida area. He was bi-racial having one white parent, but I do not know which parent. He claimed to have traveled with a circus for seven years and was a performer. He was friend and traveling companion to Charlie Smith, an ex-slave from Texas. There is a book written and a movie about this Charlie Smith and his life, titled "Charlie Smith and the Fritter Tree". In this movie, Morgan Freeman portrays Railroad Bill. Morris Slater ended up living in West Florida near the Bama line. He worked in the woods as a turpentine worker. Slater met my grandmother as he roomed at her boarding house. Even though Slater was half white and light skinned, it was against the law for a "colored person" to marry a "white". Never the less, my grandfather was conceived. It is passed down to me that Morris Slater was a gentle, compassionate person with a lot of self pride. After my grandfather was born, Slater moved on in order to protect my great grandmother and her child because their relationship had been in secret. Slater was an educated man and I have learned that when he would write letters and mail them, he always painted a black bird on the envelope. Slater always carried his riffle in his pant leg where ever he went. A new sheriff came into town one day and told Slater he would have to pay money to register his gun or give it up. Slater was very poor at the time and did not have the money to pay and he also felt that he had as much right as the "white" man to carry his gun. He simply refused, saying that he had a right and did not have to register his gun. Because of this incident, the law started badgering him. Eventually, the law went after him along with a posse and the intention of taking his gun one way or another. Slater told them to just leave him alone, but they shot at him and he shot back. Afterwards, Slater had to go on the run after becoming a wanted man dead or alive. He was shot at many times and he returned fire in defense, killing a deputy. He then figured what the hey, he had nothing to lose. He began jumping freight cars, stealing the loot, food, money, whatever he could grab. He threw the food off to the poor people along the tracks and delivered food and money to poor people's doors during the night. He was known to the black and poor white communities as "Railroad Bill" and sometimes called "Wild Bill McCoy" or the "Black Robin Hood." He was a master at eluding the law. All sorts of legends grew about Railroad Bill. He was said to be able to jump a river and could jump from tree to tree. Legend has it that many times an unknown bloodhound would appear out of nowhere when the law was on track of Bill. It is said that Railroad Bill turned himself into a bloodhound and ran with the pack of hounds who were chasing himself. He could disappear at the blink of an eye. Even today local folk, especially in the African American communities, believe that the spirit of Railroad Bill still roams about and when good things happen to the poor people it is Railroad Bill still looking out for the less fortunate. I suppose after a few years of running with no hope in site, Railroad Bill became exhausted. It was about 1897 when Railroad Bill took his last walk into town one day to a local store. He purchased some cheese and crackers, ate, got up and walked out knowing what was about to happen. Several groups of men were stalking around waiting for their prey. He was shot in the back numerous times until he fell to the ground dead, gun along his side and peace at last. Sheriff McGowan of Atmore, Alabama stands tall in a photo taken of him with Railroad Bill laying dead on back of a wagon. Photo's were sold, pictures were taken along side the body for fifty cents and a person could view his remains for fifty cents. The body was on display for weeks, taken from town to town. I am sure these "Law men" and other "good citizens" were proud of their catch, not to mention a little richer to boot. I know that many legends, songs and tales were made up about Railroad Bill, most highly exaggerated. There is currently mention of a movie in progress about the legend of Railroad Bill." ** 3. Subject: RE: Help: Railroad Bill From: GUEST,Bob Coltman Date: 22 Jan 05 - 10:10 AM "Now for the best and completest version of Railroad Bill I've been able to put together from Olive Woolley Burt and from Dorothy Scarborough, both of whom were in time to catch the still existing late-1920s ballad of Railroad Bill before it became a catch-all for verse scraps like those still sung till today. For my own singing I have revised the verse order somewhat, attempting to set them up chronologically, as follows. Standin' on the corner, didn't mean no harm, Policeman grab me by my arm, Says I'm lookin' for Railroad Bill.   Talk about your bill, your ten-dollar bill, You never seen a bill like Railroad Bill,         He'll lay your poor body down.   Railroad Bill, mighty bad man, Shot them lights out the brakeman's hand,         They's lookin' for Railroad Bill.   Railroad Bill, mighty bad man, Shot all the lights off of the stand,         That bad Railroad Bill.   Railroad Bill, got no wife, Always lookin' for somebody's life, That bad…   Railroad Bill, he did not know That Jim MacMillan had a forty-fo',         Laid his poor body down.   Railroad Bill, comin' home soon, Killed MacMillan by the light of the moon, That…   Railroad Bill cut a mighty big dash, Killed MacMillan like a lightnin' flash, He'll lay your poor body down.   First on the table, next on the wall, Old corn liquor is the cause of it all, That bad…   Railroad Bill, ridin' on the train, Tryin' to act big like Cuba and Spain, That bad…   Get up, old woman, you sleepin' too late, Railroad Bill's come knockin' on your gate, That bad…   Railroad Bill, he's got sore eyes, Won't eat nothin' but apple pies, That bad…   Railroad Bill, eatin' crackers an' cheese, Long come the sheriff, chipper as you please,         Says, ain't you that Railroad Bill.   Railroad Bill, might big spo't, Shot all the buttons off the Sheriff's coat,         You bad Railroad Bill.   Sheriff he got him a special train, When he got there, was a drivin' rain, He's lookin'…   Ten policemen, all dressed in blue, Comin' down the avenue, two by two, They's lookin'…   Everybody told him, you better go back, Bill is a-comin' down the railroad track, That bad…   Ol' Culpepper went up on Number Five, Goin' bring him back, dead or alive, That bad…   Railroad Bill lyin' on the grocery floor, Got shot two times, they shot him two times more,         They shot down old Railroad Bill.   Railroad Bill said before he died, Fit all the trains so the rounders can ride,         Didn't it rain, rain, rain, rain, rain."   NOTES: For my own singing I've tended to vary the chorus as above, but the original versions stick rigidly to the refrain of "Lookin' for Railroad Bill." This makes me wonder if the song was first composed during, or immediately after, the manhunt...that would date it to c. 1897-98. Note borrowings from "Crawdad Song" and from "Natural-Born Eas'man" / "Jay Gould's Daughter" / "Casey Jones." ** 4.  Subject: RE: Help: Railroad Bill From: Azizi Date: 22 Jan 05 - 12:33 PM "Thomas W. Talley's 1922 collection "Negro Folk Rhymes" has a rhyme he calls "Wild Negro Bill" {p. 94 of Kennikat Press edition. The verses Talley presents contain the N word {represented in my post as "N---"} I'se wild N----- Bill From Redpepper Hill. I never did wo'k an' I never will   I's done killed de Boss. I'se knocked down de hoss. I'se eats up raw goose widout apple sauce!   I'se Run-a-way Bill, I knows dwy mought kill; But old Mosser hain't cotch me, an' he never will! --- Talley wrote that many of his songs were generations old..Since sneaking into railroad cars was often used by runaways, could 'Wild N--- Bill' be the source of "Railroad Bill? **** 5. Subject: RE: Help: Railroad Bill From: Azizi Date: 22 Jan 05 - 01:17 PM "In her 1925 collection 'On The Trail Of Negro Folk Songs" Dorothy Scarborough writes:  "There are various Negro versions of Railroad Bill, the best that I have found being given by Professor Odum in Journal of American Folklore. {Folklore Associates edition; page 251-252} I's Looking Fer Railroad Bill Railroad Bill mighty bad man, Shoot dem lights out o' de brakeman's hand- It's lookin' fer Railroad Bill.   Railroad Bill mighty bad man, Shoot the lamps all off the stan'- An it's lookin' fer Railroad Bill.   First on table, next on wall, Ole corn whiskey cause of it all- It's looking fer Railroad Bill.   Ole McMillan had a special train, When he got there wus a shower a rain- Wus lookin' fer Railroad Bill.   Ev'body tole him he better turn back, Railroad Bill wus goin' down the track- An it's lookin' fer Railroad Bill.   Well, the pilicemen all dressed in blue, Comin down sidewalk two by two, Wus lookin' fer Railroad Bill.   Railroad Bill he had no wife, Always lookin fer somebody's life- An it's lookin' fer Railroad Bill.   Railroad Bill was the worst ole coon Killed McMillan by the light o' the moon- It's lookin' fer Railroad Bill.   Ole Culpepper went up on Number Five, Goin' bring him back, dead or alive, Wus lookin' fer Railroad Bill.   Standin' on the corner, did n't mean no harm, Policeman grab me the arm- Wus lookin' fer Railroad Bill."   end of quote Scaborough {Odum} writes 'It's lookin' fer Railroad Bill.' but I wonder if this was a mis-hearing of "I'se lookin fer Railroad Bill".. Scaborough also includes this verse: Railroad Bill got so fine He shot a hole in a silver dime Railroad Bill, Railroad Bill Railroad Bll got sore eyes, An' won't eat nothin' apple pies.   (p. 253 Folklore Associates edition, 1963}  --- Needless to say, to African Americans of that time 'Railroad Bill' was an anti-hero, a man with attitude who didn't take no stuff, who challenged the system and won {at least for a while}.   "Coon" was used as an informal referent for African Americans by both Black Americans and others. Though it is now, then it was not necessarily a negative term. The only positive use of 'coon' that I have ever heard among African Americans {though it's very rarely used now} is the internal rhyme "ace boon coon" as in "You're my ace boon coon".  Though I don't view Wild N--- Bill/Railroad Bill as a role model for contemporary African Americans, I think it's a shame that so few of us know this folklore... Ms. Azizi" **** Thanks for visiting pancocojams. Visitor comments are welcome.

Trump Just Crossed A Major Line With A Racist Video Of The Obamas Depicted As Apes

 
Occupy Democrats, February 6, 2026

beyond words...
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Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post showcases a February 6, 2026 Anthony Vincent Gallo, Occupy Democrat podcast about a post on Trump's Truth Social platform that included a depiction of former President Barak Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes or monkeys. 

This post also presents the complete transcript to that Occupy Democrat podcast.

The content of this post is for historical, socio-cultural, and political purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Anthony Vincent Gallo and all those associated with Occupy Democrats for their podcast.
-snip- 
 Click https://www.cnn.com/2026/02/06/politics/donald-trump-obamas-apes-truth-social for the February 6, 2026 article entitled "Trump shares racist video depicting Obamas as apes on Truth Social, then removes it amid bipartisan outrage" by Adam Cancryn, Alayna Treene, Alejandra Jaramillo, and Betsy Klein

Also, click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/01/the-history-and-current-customs-of.html for the January 30, 2026 post entitled "The History And Current Customs Of Associating Apes And Monkeys With Black People".

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COMPLETE AUTO-GENERATED TRANSCRIPT OF THE OCCUPY DEMOCRAT PODCAST GIVEN IN THIS POST
(This transcript is given without time stamps and without any punctuation additions.)

Length - ,02-4:45

Trump took to rage posting again last night, but this time he threw down the gauntlet
and boldly announced to the world that he is an unashamed 1930s style racist, reposting
an animated video that portrays the Obamas as, wait for it, monkeys in the jungle.

I'm going to show the video that Demented Donnie reposted while we all wait for Mike
Johnson to say, "I haven't seen it yet."

So, hit that subscribe button so we can continue to bring you the kind of ethical media content
and analysis that corporate media is too busy trying to normalize Trump to get around to.

Now, there's a reason Trump was going off the rails and rage posting last night. He had a very
difficult morning, especially because he got absolutely humiliated by Democrat Jonathan Jackson
at the prayer breakfast, whose prayer basically insulted Trump at every turn. Trump's reaction was
priceless. Am I getting insulted here? And then it got worse because I guarantee you Trump not only
saw the animated video of the Obamas, but he saw this video of the crowd at a wrestling event in Las Vegas chanting the f bomb anti-ICE slogan so loudly that they actually delayed the start of the play. I
mean the match.

Remember Trump announcing that he was going to hold a big AEW wrestling match in the lawn of the White House? He's certainly rethinking that plan. This very large and very dedicated portion of his base has absolutely turned on him. And you got to love the expression on MJF's face. He can't believe what's going on here.

And it's not the only Trump demographic that has turned on him. Yesterday, students from Brigham Young University took to the streets to protest ICE being included in their job fair. BYU.

And they're not just protesting ICE. They are protesting Trump and trying to take back Christianity. They know a charlatan when they see it. Signs like these of Jesus being dragged away by ICE. And is there no more room at the inn are testimony that there is a growing opposition to the cristofascism
that swept Trump into office.

So with his back up against the wall, Trump decided to signal his most dependable demographic that
he was still with them, the overt racists. He reposted this animated video of the Obamas as monkeys
in the jungle.

Now, I'm going to alter this video for a reason. For too long, corporate media has been recirculating
images and discourses with no regard to the fact that recirculation helps promote the subject. no matter how much they condemn it. And this video needs to be condemned. So, you know, going in the monkeys you are going to see dancing in the jungle are Michelle on your left and Barack on your right.

Watch.

Now, Trump defenders are going to come out saying that the video portrays a lot of different Democrats as animals. and then Trump as this mighty lion. But that excuse is nonsense. The video starts with the Obamas as monkeys, an old racist, demeaning stereotype. Everything that follows is just an excuse to make that stereotype. The Obamas are Democrats, so their faces could have been put on donkeys, but because they're black, they were made to be monkeys in the jungle.

And the story that does play out is just as sick of all these Democrats being subservient to Trump as king. It's just another in a long line of fantasy images of an idealized and powerful Trump. This orange blob can barely climb the stairs to Air Force One. Has to bronze his face, cover the bruises on his hands, and hide his swollen ankles. He's practically on life support. But all Trump has left to offer is dwindling base is fantasy. And so he went with all reliable overt racism. Let the chorus of Republican excuse making begin.

I'm Anthony Vincent Gallo for Occupy Democrats. And if you like this video, please hit the like button and subscribe to our channel. You'll not only help out our channel, you'll be taking concrete action and helping get rid of Trump and the MAGA movement who ushered him in."

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