Outrage over calls to replace 'racist' US national anthem, written by slave owner

Outrage is growing across the US over calls to replace The Star-Spangled Banner as the nation's national anthem because it was written by a slave owner. Photo / Getty Images

Outrage is growing across the United States over calls by activists, historians and journalists to replace The Star-Spangled Banner as the nation's national anthem because it was written by a slave owner.

Historian Daniel E Walker and activist and journalist Kevin Powell made the remarks in an article written by Yahoo Music Editor Lyndsey Parker titled "Why it might be time to finally replace The Star-Spangled Banner with a new national anthem".

The song was written by Francis Scott Key, a slave owner who made overtly racist remarks.

Now a number of people say the lyrics are no longer appropriate given the ongoing cultural tensions and systematic racism in the US.

Despite being British, John Lennon's Imagine has been touted as a replacement, with journalist Powell describing the hit as the "most beautiful, unifying, all-people, all-backgrounds-together kind of song you could have".

But many Americans have hit back, claiming it is an example of the Black Lives Matter movement being used to "erase American history".

Walker, who is also an author, said in the interview: "The 53-year-old in me says, we can't change things that have existed forever.

"But then there are these young people who say that America needs to live up to its real creed.

"And so, I do side with the people who say that we should rethink this as the national anthem, because this is about the deep-seated legacy of slavery and white supremacy in America, where we do things over and over and over again that are a slap in the face of people of colour and women.

"We do it first because we knew what we were doing and we wanted to be sexist and racist. And now we do it under the guise of 'legacy'."

Francis Scott Key wrote the The Star Spangled Banner. Photo / Getty Images

The lyrics come from the 1814 poem Defence of Fort M'Henry which Key, the son of a prominent white family, wrote after watching British troops descent on Fort McHenry between September 13 and 14, 1814.

It became the national anthem in 1931.

Among the lyrics is: "No refuge could save the hireling and slave,
"From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave."

In an interview, Powell said Key made other racist remarks.

"The Star-Spangled Banner was written by Francis Scott Key, who was literally born into a wealthy, slave-holding family in Maryland.

"He was a very well-to-do lawyer in Washington, DC, and eventually became very close to President Andrew Jackson, who was the Donald Trump of his time, which means that there was a lot of hate and violence and division.

"At that time, there were attacks on Native Americans and Black folks — both free black folks and folks who were slaves — and Francis Scott Key was very much a part of that.

Kevin Powell says John Lennon's Imagine should replace the American national anthem. Photo / Getty Images

"He was also the brother-in-law of someone who became a Supreme Court justice, Roger Taney, who also had a very hardcore policy around slavery. And so, all of that is problematic. And the fact that Key, when he was a lawyer, also prosecuted abolitionists, both white and Black folks who wanted slavery to end, says that this is someone who really did not believe in freedom for all people.

"And yet, we celebrate him with this national anthem, every time we sing it.

"Francis Scott Key, he was a big-time guy in terms of the American colonisation of society.

"This was not just a person who just lived in the time period.

"This is a person who helped define the time period."

A statue of Key in San Francisco has been toppled by protesters.

However, some have stood firm saying the anthem should remain.

"And ... there goes the national anthem," one said.

Others wrote: "They want to remove the national anthem and the flag is next. People won't let them erase truth of American history! "