Oh - yea!
Do you know the story of Juneteenth?
When the enslaved found out that they were free
Two years after 1863
The Emancipation Proclamation
Freedom
What does it mean to be free?
Are you born with it? Is it God given?
Or is there a cost to be
FREE
The constitution said
We were three fifths human
How can it be
Democracy
Built on stolen land
Freedom is a right, not a privilege
YUP!
Freedom from false restriction
YUP!
Skin color
Birthplace
Respect the ways we're all different
YUP!
Let's take it back bout 100 years
Quick - let me paint this picture
America in a civil war
No Marvel movie, this history!
President Lincoln had a plan to end slavery only in the south
But Black folks when they heard about it
Started spreading that word of mouth
Picked up arms and joined the Union
To fight for their own freedom
The colored troops help win the war
Gave that proclamation new meaning
YUP!
Whoo!
You betta believe it!
Do you know the story of Juneteenth?
When the enslaved found out that they were free
Two years after 1863
The Emancipation Proclamation
Justice
When have we seen it and known it?
Who are the ones who have grown it?
Took it from notion to showin whats - JUST
Let's talk about soldiers who were free
Risking their lives for people like me
All the Kinfolk they may never know
Took a lead that we all could follow
Followin' the call for What?
Justice
Bigger than land it was for the enslaved
When you think about this Proclamation
The emancipation is knowing that WE were the brave
200 thousand soldiers organizing
Women and children home strategizing
Paper protests
Learned to address
The power of truth and a culture uprising
Do you know the story of Juneteenth?
When the enslaved found out that they were free
Two years after 1863
The Emancipation Proclamation
Can't stop that joy!
Freedom is not individual, its collective
Can't stop that joy!
Freedom is not individual, its collective
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Freedom is not individual, its collective
Freedom is not individual
When you think about Juneteenth
Remember how we freed ourselves
How we stayed prepared
We will prevail, cuz we tippin scales, closing all the jails
And we will not fail!
You believe
You dream
You move
You serve
For those who've past
For our culture
No one left behind
We can be sure
We stand
We rise
We on that joy ride
We stand
We rise
We on that joy ride
We stand - we stand
We rise - we rise
We on that joy ride - we on that joy ride
Ayyyy!
Now you know the story of Juneteenth
When the last enslaved knew that they were free
We led ourselves to victory
Victory!
Victory!