Talk given by Ethical Culture Leader Hugh Taft Morales for the Ethical Culture Society of Westchester via Zoom on Sunday, January 24, 2021. Hugh Taft-Morales remembers how conscious he was of racial identity the first time he was in a multiracial group singing “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” nick-named “The Black National Anthem.” The song prompted most Black singers to tilt up their heads and sing loud and proud, while white singers – himself included – struggled to feign familiarity with the song. Through the history of this important song, Hugh will explore what we can draw from it today to help us make sense of racial identity, patriotism, and the role of white activism in the Black Lives Matter movement. Hugh Taft-Morales is the Leader for both the Baltimore Ethical Society and the Philadelphia Ethical Society. Born and raised in Connecticut, Hugh graduated from Yale University in 1979 and earned a Masters in Philosophy from University of Kent at Canterbury. He taught philosophy and history for twenty-five years in Washington, D. C. In addition to Hugh’s Leadership with the Baltimore and Philadelphia Societies Hugh has also played a large leadership role with the national organization, the American Ethical Union, as faculty for the Lay Leadership Summer School, President of the National Leaders Council, and strong support for a multitude of committee and program activities.