Before Us

…before us ( for Sweet Honey in the Rock ) By ‘bro.zayid’ “We will not bow down to Racism… “We will not bow down to Injustice… “We will not bow down to Exploitation!... “I’m gon’ staaaand! “I’m gon’ staaand!...” I’m Gon’ Stand, Sweet Honey in the Rock they stand before us primed to peel the pain of oppression from legions of eyes… they stand before us quilted to the heart to the soul to the drum of the vast continuum of our history… they stand before us a full hipthick tapestry of memory and sound… they stand before us ancestor-anchored battle-proven and ready… they stand before us sparklin in an array of dignity regality and enchanting cosmic and earthbound smells… they stand before us wingswide wailin moanin stirrin swingin thumpin jumpin circles of lyric rhythm forevah unbroken… they stand before us walkin in the incredible wonder and way of the ancient glory of the afrikan woman and of the magic of earth mother… awwww i say, they stand before us honey-sweet rock-solid dove-throated cross-strong liberation-cravin mountain-climbin… with blazin prizebound eyes quilted to our incredible past… anchorin a fierce future… peelin pain from our eyes by the legions… forcin us to feel the ancestors’ screams to stand up back straight daring to cradle their necksnapped dreams for us to soar high with wings oceanwide journeyin risin risin risin forevah to the sun… “Whatchu gon’ do? Whatchu gon’ do? Whatchu gon’ do? “I’m gon’ staaaand! “I’m gon’ staaaand!...” ©1996 all rights reserved ‘bro.zayid’muhammad is a well known cub of the legendary NY chapter of the Black Panther Party. He is the founding press officer of the Malcolm X Commemoration Committee and the media advocate for the Newark AntiViolence Coalition…