Post by Park Heights on Mar 21, 2008 14:09:02 GMT -5
We are apart of long lineage of those that understand what the meaning of burden is
A race that have stood on the front line in the war on poverty
That knows the pain of watching their loved ones hanging from nooses
Done by those who looked their lives as a novelty
For whom 40 acres and a mule were replaced with 40 ounces and the blues
And we can still feel the dogs biting at our ankles and the separate list of rules
We're the ones whose accomplishments never made the news
Our elders reduced to shining the shoes of rich white fools
Big mama too tired to tend to us 'cause she done worked all day chasing the white ladies' kids
But she still had enough strength to cook us a meal
Barely had enough time to sit down and rest her eyelids
Before having another long day with which to deal
We are apart of the moment when Jackie broke the color lines
And when Martin spoke of reaching the Promised Land
And when Malcolm wanted people to mobilize
And when Garvey wanted to take us home again
We apart of a proud long history of pioneers
Of honor and sacrifice and struggle and pain
Of joy and millions of tears
And we’ve continued to tread forward, overcoming again and again
A race that have stood on the front line in the war on poverty
That knows the pain of watching their loved ones hanging from nooses
Done by those who looked their lives as a novelty
For whom 40 acres and a mule were replaced with 40 ounces and the blues
And we can still feel the dogs biting at our ankles and the separate list of rules
We're the ones whose accomplishments never made the news
Our elders reduced to shining the shoes of rich white fools
Big mama too tired to tend to us 'cause she done worked all day chasing the white ladies' kids
But she still had enough strength to cook us a meal
Barely had enough time to sit down and rest her eyelids
Before having another long day with which to deal
We are apart of the moment when Jackie broke the color lines
And when Martin spoke of reaching the Promised Land
And when Malcolm wanted people to mobilize
And when Garvey wanted to take us home again
We apart of a proud long history of pioneers
Of honor and sacrifice and struggle and pain
Of joy and millions of tears
And we’ve continued to tread forward, overcoming again and again
