Forced from their homes
Thrown into the hold
Chained and gagged
They did what they were told
They were unloaded
And herded like cattle
Sent to the plantation
And then began the battle
Deemed less than human
Whipped and scorned
Working for others
Their past mourned
Then the explosion
Suddenly free
Unprepared for the moment
Not knowing what they could be
40 acres and a mule
Was their reparation
Go make something of yourself boy
Was the proclamation
But what can you do
When you reach the wall?
You are not allowed to climb
You can only fall
Hung from a tree
For the color of his skin
The war was still on
His life didn’t win
A march across a bridge
To face the wall
To tear it down
With tears and God’s call
A moment of joy
Then cut down by a bullet
The trigger of hate
One man did pull it
The cost of freedom
Paid in generations
Then we tell them to count
All of their blessings
But today they died
More innocent black men
When will we stop
Killing the color of their skin?