Our lives have always mattered
Our voices can never be silenced
Our beauty is undeniable
Our intellect is unsurpassed
From our land mankind was born
From Kings and Queens we descended
Our freedom you did take
But
Our minds always have been free
Our hearts always have been free
Our souls always have been free
And because you could not capture them
We have soared
Our contributions undeniable, too numerous to dismiss
Our history is not just our history
Our history is American history
Like the giant oak tree we are rooted in the very fabric of this country
Without us it would not exist
As James Brown exclaimed
Say it loud
We are BLACK and we are PROUD!