Lift Every Voice

Lift ev'ry voice and cry While all our children die Raise up the deaf'ning sigh of misery Let all the people hear With ever-sharpened ear How we have lost our dignity and pride Long ago, we had community others desired Long ago, we had prosperity to be admired We never raised our hand To offer or demand Anything more than mere equality. But now, those days have left And we've become bereft Of all our peace of spirit and of mind Insight and love we shun Tossing the Book for a gun So to destroy all things left undefiled We have seen children shot dead by the bullets of "brothers" We have seen scholars of color blame all this on others! For Nike shoes we'll fight Then blame the Man who's White For we refuse to practice common sense. Grandmothers do lament Gangbangers won't repent Rappers still teach our youth to rape or kill Careless is how we dress Eloquence is suppressed People of mine, great is our need to heal! We can still save our community from the deficient And reclaim our dignity and become self-sufficient Put down the drugs and sword And return to your Lord Certainly then, we shall see brighter days.