Oh Bayard Oh Bayard
Oh Bayard Oh Bayard
How tragic for you
For your name to be eschewed-ignored
Except by a few
Athlete-student-singer
You were a Renaissance man
And nonviolence was not an option
But one the Quakers demand
You organized protests
Before we heard of King
You were born to rebel
Your courage should ring
Was it because of your preference
That your name was mired
What crime
Such hatred inspired
You laid the groundwork for the March on Washington
But you had to stay in the back
Because one of your own
Threatened a character attack
Over 30 years have passed
Since you have left
May your story inspire us all
To be our true self