Vandalism Of Francis Scott Key Statue Raises Questions About 'The Star-Spangled Banner'

NPR

Published September 14, 2017 at 1:52 PM EDT

The mayor of Baltimore says she has no plans to remove the city’s monument to Francis Scott Key, after the words “racist anthem” were sprayed this week on a statue of him. Key wrote what would become the national anthem 205 years ago today while he was held captive on a British ship during the Battle of Baltimore in the War of 1812.

Loyola University professor Karsonya Wise Whitehead (@kayewhitehead) joins Here & Now‘s Robin Young to explain why some people think the anthem’s rarely sung third verse is racist.

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