it's 1619
& the boats are all docking, bodies pouring onto the land as freedom pours out to the sea
it's 1724
& the shackles are all rattling beneath the beaten but unbreakable who never gave up
it's 1864
& the abolitionists are all cheering, but lucky 13 never translated to equality
it's 1870
& the voters are all gathered, but the bleached out crowd still managed a loophole around the number 15
it's 1896
& the crows are all preaching. separate but equal, they say, like you can really separate equality
it's 1955
& the front bus seats are all taken, white hot anger sparking 381 days of determination
it's 1957
& the students are all shocked, the little rock needs a thousand Feds just to blend
it's 1963
& 200,000 people all have a dream,
gathering in unity for the 'greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of the nation'
it's 1965
& the voting booths are all open, the wealthy pallid mass finally forced to share their ballots
it's 2008
& the white reign is all done pouring, the flood is still flowing but at least people have the chance to try to swim before the drown
it's 2016
& the trumpets are all singing, waning out the songs of the last 400 years like we still haven't learned anything
and maybe we haven't,
maybe i've just been too
hopefully ignorant
to hear the paralyzing
sound of the TRUMPets
all along
maybe i'm searching for a tomorrow that doesn't exist
because the sound of the trumpets is thrusting us all back into yesterday
but i refuse to join in on the symphony
'this is the new sound just like the old sound, just like the noose wound over the new ground'
Mar 3, 2016
Mar 3, 2016 at 2:33 AM UTC
it's 1619
& the boats are all docking, bodies pouring onto the land as freedom pours out to the sea
it's 1724
& the shackles are all rattling beneath the beaten but unbreakable who never gave up
it's 1864
& the abolitionists are all cheering, but lucky 13 never translated to equality
it's 1870
& the voters are all gathered, but the bleached out crowd still managed a loophole around the number 15
it's 1896
& the crows are all preaching. separate but equal, they say, like you can really separate equality
it's 1955
& the front bus seats are all taken, white hot anger sparking 381 days of determination
it's 1957
& the students are all shocked, the little rock needs a thousand Feds just to blend
it's 1963
& 200,000 people all have a dream,
gathering in unity for the 'greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of the nation'
it's 1965
& the voting booths are all open, the wealthy pallid mass finally forced to share their ballots
it's 2008
& the white reign is all done pouring, the flood is still flowing but at least people have the chance to try to swim before the drown
it's 2016
& the trumpets are all singing, waning out the songs of the last 400 years like we still haven't learned anything
and maybe we haven't,
maybe i've just been too
hopefully ignorant
to hear the paralyzing
sound of the TRUMPets
all along
maybe i'm searching for a tomorrow that doesn't exist
because the sound of the trumpets is thrusting us all back into yesterday
but i refuse to join in on the symphony
'this is the new sound just like the old sound, just like the noose wound over the new ground'
timeline in case you don't know this info already:
1619: first african slaves arrived in the colonies
1864: emancipation proclamation (13th amendment) signed by abraham lincoln
1870: voting is legalized for all males (15th amendment) (poll taxes & literacy tests among other things still made it nearly impossible for african-americans to vote)
1896: jim crow laws enacted (separate but equal)
1955: rosa parks refuses to give up her seat, sparking a 381 day bus boycott led by martin luther king jr
1957: little rock, arkansas - 1000 feds are needed to peacefully escort african-american students to school. school is shut down for that school year.
1963: martin Luther King Jr. delivers his 'i have a dream' speech
1965: voting rights act allows everyone to vote. (poll taxes, literacy exams, etc are eliminated)
2008: pres. barrack obama takes office
