Jully Black Changed The Lyrics To 'O Canada' Again While Singing The Anthem In Toronto (VIDEO)
Jully Black performed her viral rendition of "O Canada" at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) this week.
The famous Canadian R&B singer originally changed the lyrics to the Canadian national anthem while performing at the 2023 NBA All-Star game in Utah, where she sang "Our home on native land" instead of the original lyric, "Our home and native land."
Her rendition went viral and prompted many discussions on whether Canada's anthem should be changed to Black's lyrics to better represent and honour Indigenous communities.
On June 27, Black performed her version of the national anthem once again at TMU's inaugural Lincoln Alexander School of Law convocation in downtown Toronto.
The newly minted law program is committed to "Indigenizing legal education," according to Vice President of Equity & Community Inclusion Tanya (Toni) De Mello, and all of their law students are required to complete a course on Indigenous and Aboriginal law in their first year – which makes Black's attendance all the more fitting.
Following her performance, Black addressed the crowd and said she saw "a room full of courage."
"We stand on Indigenous, Native, First Peoples land. I look out, and I see a room full of courage. A room full of game-changers, truth-tellers, history makers. A room full of our ancestors' wildest dreams and your ancestor's biggest nightmare. We are much better together," she said.
In a sit-down interview with CBC News, Black explained how the lyric change originally came about earlier this year.
Black said while searching for how to make her rendition of "O Canada" "meaningful" and "impactful" while representing Canada on the world stage, she went through Canada's anthem word by word.
"It just didn't feel right, and I followed the feeling," Black said, referencing her line change.
"There's appropriation, and there's appreciation. That's when I contacted a few of my friends who are Indigenous. Getting their blessing is what made me go through with it because had I not received their blessing, it would have felt self-serving."
Black told CBC News that fighting for Indigenous rights is just as fulfilling as fighting for her own community.
"If I don't live to see reparations for Black people, I can live to see and help and support and be a part of the change for Indigenous peoples and feel just as fulfilled. Because at the end of the day, I am not feeling the plight of my ancestors in real-time right now, but I have indigenous friends who know people that don't have clean water right now."
Black's late mother, who immigrated to Canada in 1968 from Jamaica, also played a role in her decision to change the anthem.
In speaking with the CBC, Black said she heard her mother's voice say, "Exercise wisdom, Jully," while contemplating the lyric change.
Black has long been an advocate for Indigenous rights issues, and following her performance, she was honoured in a ceremony by the Assembly of First Nations in April 2023.
Narcity reached out to TMU for comment on Black's performance but did not hear back in time for publication.
