This hymn has been called the "Black National Anthem" because it celebrates how far blacks have come from their days in bondage, and recognizes they still have far to go in their journey toward freedom. Johnson writes, "Stony the road we trod, bitter the chastening 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?" (Johnson, 1900). Blacks in bondage longed for their freedom, that is certain, and to know their children gained it had to be a matter of satisfaction for them. This hymn celebrates that freedom, while acknowledging there were many others along the way who never enjoyed it. Thus, it speaks of all African Americans who ever had a family member that was a slave. His hymn reads like poetry, and it captures in graphic terms how blacks suffered when they were slaves.
             It is not surprising that Johnson would write the hymn to celebrate Lincoln's birthday. Lincoln wrote the Emancipation Proclamation that freed the slaves at the end of the Civil War. In addition, many feel the Civil War was fought, at least in part, over the issue of slavery, and so Lincoln served as a saviour to many African Americans. Thus, any anthem for Black Americans would have to include some reference to Lincoln. While Lincoln is not mentioned in the hymn itself, just knowing that it was written to celebrate his birthday adds depth and emotion to an already emotional work. Without Lincoln, Blacks might not have gained freedom from slavery so soon, and had the freedom to write hymns to commemorate his birth.
             The most compelling message of this hymn is faith in God. Johnson continues, "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" (Johnson, 1900). This is the strongest message of the hymn, and Johnson uses it in every...