Beaten, battered and broken
Through hell and back,
We stay alive,
The torture, the hate and lack of respect
From Emmitt Till to Rosa Parks,
They endured, they fought!
They saw the future light, in a place nothing but dark
They endured the pain,
The venom, spat in their black faces
Noting but power and motivation it produced,
Freedom Riders who stood in the face of danger
Knowing some wouldn’t return
But never did they fail,
They resisted to fall
They persevered.
Never did they die without cause
For they are the ones who set the precedent,
Their heavy minds and impregnable determination
Are what brought us to today’s opportunities
Affirmative action
Rights to vote, to live, to thrive
For they did not retaliate with hate,
But multiplied in number and strength
And for that, we are still here.
Beautiful, black and proud.