<P> In November 2017, the California Chapter of the NAACP called on Congress to remove The Star - Spangled Banner as the national anthem . Alice Huffman, California NAACP president said "it's racist; it doesn't represent our community, it's anti-black ." The third stanza of the anthem, which is rarely sung and few know, contains the words, "No refuge could save the hireling and slave, From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:", which some interpret as racist . The organization was still seeking a representative to sponsor the legislation in Congress at the time of their announcement . </P> <P> As a result of immigration to the United States and the incorporation of non-English speaking people into the country, the lyrics of the song have been translated into other languages . In 1861, it was translated into German . The Library of Congress also has record of a Spanish - language version from 1919 . It has since been translated into Hebrew and Yiddish by Jewish immigrants, Latin American Spanish (with one version popularized during immigration reform protests in 2006), French by Acadians of Louisiana, Samoan, and Irish . The third verse of the anthem has also been translated into Latin . </P> <P> With regard to the indigenous languages of North America, there are versions in Navajo and Cherokee . </P> <Table> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> The Star - Spangled Banner (1915) A 1915 recording of the Star - Spangled Banner as sung by Margaret Woodrow Wilson, daughter of Woodrow Wilson The Star - Spangled Banner (1942) Fred Waring and His Pennsylvanians sing The Star - Spangled Banner in 1942 The Star - Spangled Banner (1953) A 1953 instrumental recording by the United States Marine Corps band The Star Spangled Banner (circa 2000) An instrumental recording by the United States Navy Band . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> Problems playing these files? See media help . </Td> </Tr> </Table>

Words of the united states of america national anthem