And I’m proud to be an American,
where at least I know I’m free.
And I won’t forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me.
In the spring of 2006 I played trumpet in a pair of Memorial Day concerts with the Henrico Pops Chorus. I was one of only two black people participating. I don’t consider myself to be very patriotic. I was playing just because I like to play. I was primarily featured on the Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy, with small parts on some other songs. One of the last songs of the concert was Proud to Be an American. I had never heard the song before in my life, but everyone else apparently had heard it numerous times.
With current events being what they are I thought about that song today and the lyrics and realize that while they may have grew up singing Proud To Be an American, I grew up singing and hearing We Shall Overcome, and hearing my mother sing “Before I’ll be a slave, I’ll be buried in my grave and go home to my Lord and be free.”. While they sang “at least I know I’m free”, I knew I was free to be picked up by the police while walking down the street because I fit the description; that description being 5’ 10” tall, 145 pounds, 16 years old, and black. While they couldn’t forget the men who died who gave them that right to be free, I couldn’t forget the black men and women who died to give me something they knew they themselves might never experience. Remember the words, “I might not get there with you”?
Well, I’m excited about the events of the last couple of days, but I’m not convinced we’re standing in the Promised Land yet. We are closer but not close enough to relax, and we’ll never be in position to forget those who set us up to have this vantage point. As Dr. King stated, “We as a people will get to the promised land”. A promise that says, Someday We’ll ALL be (truly) free.
Keep on walking tall, hold you head up high.
Lay your dreams right up to the sky.
Sing your greatest song.
And you'll keep, going, going on.
Take it from me, Someday we'll all be free.
(Donny Hathaway)
Comments
Baby steps....
Things will not change over night. I wish people would just be still and take this moment in until we get to the next.
Thanks for stopping by and I LOVE your post on Diary Of A Strong Black Woman
on another note, do you think that by Obama's mothers and close relatives being white it was easier for non-black people to vote for him?
I hope Keith (http://ariesrules.blogspot.com/) tackles that question. He 's one of the most wisest and knowledgeable in the blogosphere so I'd like to read his take on your question.
Thanks for stopping by.
I am a proud, free American and for once in my lifetime, I look at us differently. We are truly, truly capable and we are "not" what we've been brain washed to believe. The not being worthy and good enough!
"We" are human beings and we matter too. So move over white America, the Barack's are coming to the "White" House.
talking as if now that Obama is President racism is gone...the sky is the limit!!!
Well, not quite..There is a lot of work to be done ,both in the Black
Community and outside of it.I may talk about this in detail later.
Thanks for the compliment..but really, I'm not all that..just struggling to get somewhere like everybody else..that's all.
just bringing a little fun into it.
Its important to remember Barack did this IN SPITE of racism not because it doesn't exist. There pool of folks is just shrinking.
-OG