Chains, the only thing that kept us together

In pains so dividing

Skin, the only thing we felt riding the waves

We were crying

So tightly packed during the triangular trade

No longer were we born but forcefully made

 

No longer could we see beyond the white

Man’s haze

Adding on to property, we became slaves

Trapped in a circle of underserved hurt

Kicked to the ground, we were less than dirt

 

But on our plane we started to incline

We became sufficient and hope was divine

Freedom to children mothers and husbands

The odds of links were found, thank Tubman

 

Then emancipation finally arose

But the values were stricken with black codes

Freedom was a joke ha-ha yeah right

All her life “Sofia1 had to fight

 

Segregation was the lock and our next mode was key

And civil right leaders gave that key to me

For this true freedom we thank Malcolm and Martin

Two operations one peaceful other’s fighting

Yes it matters how we finally got here

We subtracted from chains isn’t just mere

Solving the equation wasn’t easy to achieve

Giving up? Negative, we kept our belief

 

Now we can breathe, for problems are aside

My Ma’ma2 departed eyes open wide

For our time to rise is so absolute

Our president is black, Obama I salute

 

Foot Notes

Sofia is the character played by Oprah Winfrey in the Color Purple

Ma’ma is my great- great grandmother who passed three years ago. She was born during the segregation time period.