NFL: Who sang national anthem ahead of Kansas City Chiefs vs Detroit Lions game?

Grammy Award nominee Natalie Grant got the honor of singing the national anthem at Arrowhead Stadium on Thursday before the Kansas City Chiefs vs. Detroit Lions game kicked off. Grant is a Christian recording artist, she has been nominated for Grammy Awards eight times. She got her first nomination in 2012. In the recent past, she was nominated for "Best Gospel Performance/Song" in 2020.

Natalie Grant at Arrowhead

It was not for the first time that Grant sang at Arrowhead Stadium. She sang the national anthem before a game against the Ravens in 2019. Grant also sang the national anthem ahead of the 2022 College Football Playoff National Championship Game between Georgia and Alabama.

Black anthem at Arrowhead

Besides the national anthem, "Lift Every Voice and Sing," also known as the Black national anthem, was also sung ahead of Thursday's game. The Kansas City Boys and Girls Choir sang the black anthem. Earlier in 2021, the NFL featured the Black national anthem ahead of games to express solidarity with the African-American community.

But the Black national anthem before a rugby match has sparked a political row. Former Republican gubernatorial candidate in Arizona Kari Lake has criticized the NFL for featuring the black national anthem ahead of the match.

Row over Black anthem

Slamming the NFL, she wrote on her X account, “I hear the @NFL is still trying to force this divisive nonsense down America's throats. I won't stand for it. Literally. America has only ONE National Anthem and that Anthem is color blind.”

Lake also used a picture of herself sitting during the Black national anthem at Super Bowl LVII in Glendale, Arizona, earlier this year.
The NFL began playing the Black national anthem in the 2020 season following the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers and the controversy that engulfed the U.S. afterward. Massive protest marches were held across the nation and the ‘Black Lives Matter’ campaign was launched.

FAQs:

Q1. Who is Natalie Grant and why is she in the news now?
A1. Natalie Grant is a famous and popular Christian singer, who has been nominated for Grammy awards eight times. She hit the headlines as she sang the national anthem ahead of the Kansas City Chiefs vs. Detroit Lions game on Thursday.

Q2. Who sang the Black national anthem ahead of the Kansas City Chiefs vs. Detroit Lions game Thursday?
A2. The Kansas City Boys and Girls Choir sang the black anthem ahead of the Kansas City Chiefs vs Detroit Lions game Thursday. Former Republican gubernatorial candidate in Arizona Kari Lake has criticized the NFL for featuring the black national anthem ahead of the match.