it sho would be nice ta live ina big house
with ma own fields a cotton an a handsome young spouse
wi' ma own servants to watch ova' the chores
i be off to the market an into the stores
i'm jus a youn' girl that wishes to be safe
ina own neighba'hood regardless of race
eventually it did happen after many many years
don' be fooled by time, bigotry hasn't disappeared
though eventually,
id be to school with all the otha kids
i's have new shoes 'stead the ones that they is
It was 1964 on a lonely bus stop bench
i'd seen groups of protesters come to stop the lynch
i seen boycotts, murders and the supreme court's rule
but the states agenda was ever so cruel
there was a march to Washington
and inspiration from Dr. King
we heard from Malcom X
an the baptist choir sing
the army was sent to keep the peace
'cos the violence in our communities had to cease
they was peaceful protests and sit ins that ended in blood
every small step was a small victory for us
they was blacks, whites, and women lining the streets
their lives on the line, resistant to defeat
only wanting to be treated jus like the rest
separate but equal was a false conquest
it took lotsa blood, sweat, and even mo tears
now i have a house after all these years
i did go to school and voted with my peers
im proud to be called a civil rights pioneer
it took all this time to be treated the same
i seen alotta hate and felt alotta pain
without those who spoke out
it would still be a crime
to drink from this fountain or look a white in his eye
i was just a girl on a nineteen-sixty-four bench
it was my first time i could without a punishment
President Johnson declared something new
the "discrimination in all public places is prohibited" break through
By Samantha Holladay
pinkjellosquares@yahoo.com