We marched because
They told us we couldn’t march.
We loved because
They told us we couldn’t love.
We married because
They told us we couldn’t marry.
We ran for office because
They told us we couldn’t run.
Freedom is for everyone
Not just for the few.
If any group is left out
The word is not true.
We applied for jobs
When they said we could not
We applied for loans
But they tore up the applications.
We manned picket lines
When they said they’d kill us.
We put in for promotions
When they told us we wouldn't win.
Freedom being for everyone
Should not be a dream.
We should not have to explain
Why things aren’t as they seem.
We heard the words
That said Land of the free,
We heard the carols
Peace on earth to all men.
We read the Constitution
That we all of us were equal.
We remembered our schoolwork
That, segregated, taught these words.
Freedom is for everyone
Not just for the few.
If any group is left out
The word is not true.