Lift Every Voice and Sing

by J. Rosamond Johnson and James Johnson

Lift every voice and sing, till earth and Heaven ring,
Ring with the harmonies of liberty;
Let our rejoicing rise, high as the listening skies,
Let it resound loud as the rolling sea.
Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us,
Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us;
Facing the rising sun of our new day begun,
Let us march on till victory is won.

Stony the road we trod, bitter the chastening rod,
Felt in the days when hope unborn had died;
Yet with a steady beat, have not our weary feet,
Come to the place for which our fathers sighed?
We have come over a way that with tears has been watered,
We have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered;
Out from the gloomy past, till now we stand at last
Where the white gleam of our bright star is cast.

God of our weary years, God of our silent tears,
Thou Who hast brought us thus far on the way;
Thou Who hast by Thy might, led us into the light,
Keep us forever in the path, we pray.
Lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met Thee.
Lest our hearts, drunk with the wine of the world, we forget Thee.
Shadowed beneath Thy hand, may we forever stand,
True to our God, true to our native land.

This Little Light of Mine

by Harry Dixon Loes

This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine
This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine
This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!

Everywhere I go, I'm gonna let it shine
Everywhere I go, I'm gonna let it shine
Everywhere I go, I'm gonna let it shine
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!

I won't let anyone blow it out, I'm gonna let it shine
I won't let anyone blow it out, I'm gonna let it shine
I won't let anyone blow it out, I'm gonna let it shine
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!

Put it under a barrel? No! I'm gonna let it shine
Put it under a barrel? No! I'm gonna let it shine
Put it under a barrel? No! I'm gonna let it shine
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!

This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine
This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine
This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!

Building Bridges

Composer unknown

Building Bridges

Building bridges between our divisions

I reach out to you, will you reach out to me?

With all of our voices and all of our visions

Friends, we can make such sweet harmony

Thank You, Miss Rosa

By the Neville Brothers

December 1st, 1955,

Our freedom movement came alive.

And because of Sister Rosa, you know,

We don’t ride on the back of the bus no more.

Now Sister Rosa, she was tired one day

After a hard day on her job,

When all she wanted was a well-deserved rest,

Not a scene from an angry mob.

The bus driver said, “Lady, you got to get up,

‘Cause a white person wants that seat.”

But Miss Rosa said, “No.  Not no more.

I’m gonna stay right here and rest my feet.”

CHORUS:  Thank you, Miss Rosa.  You are the spark

                  That started our freedom movement.

                  Thank you, Sister Rosa Parks. (Repeat)

The police came without fail

And took Sister Rosa off to jail.

Fourteen dollars was her fine. 

Brother Martin Luther King knew it was our time.

The people of Montgomery sat down to talk.

It was decided that all God’s children should walk

Until segregation was brought to its knees

And we obtain freedom and equality.  CHORUS

So we dedicate this song to thee

For being a symbol of our dignity.

      Thank you,  Sister Rose.   CHORUS (4 times)

What Can One Little Person Do?

 What Can One Little Person Do? By Sally Rogers

(Chorus:)
What can one little person do?  What can one little me or you do?
What can one little person do to help this world go 'round?
One can help another one, and together we can get the job done.
What can one little person do to help this world?

Harriet Tubman was alone on that darkened road to freedom,
but she couldn't leave her people far behind.
Moses stretched out her hand,

  She led them to the Promised Land,
‘Cause she knew she had justice on her side.

(Chorus)

When Sojourner Truth was freed, she got down on her knees,
  Prayed to God to help her on her way
With her voice and with her might, she fought for what was right,
‘Cause she knew she had justice on her side.

(Chorus)

Rosa Parks sat on the bus, and the driver said, "you must
  move to the back of the bus, or else be thrown in jail"
But she stayed and stood her ground,

  She brought that old law down,
‘Cause she knew she had justice on her side.

(Chorus)

Brother Martin Luther King told the world "I have a dream!"
He led this country's fight for human rights
We must work for liberty, until all of us are free,
  To know we have justice on our side.

(Chorus - repeat second to last line)

Somebody's Got to be First

Somebody’s Got to be First

By Blake Rowe

You got in a fight, the words are strong

You know you’re right, the other one’s wrong

You want it to stop, but you don’t want to give in

It’s the kind of fight you’ll never win

Somebody’s got to be first

Somebody’s got to be first

Take a break, give a handshake

Somebody’s got to be first

You’re with a group, someone makes a joke

But it sounds mean, not a friendly poke

Everyone laughs like it’s no big deal

No one wants to say how they really feel

Somebody’s got to be first

Somebody’s got to be first

If you dare to defend, maybe the jokes will end

Somebody’s got to be first

(bridge)

The band is playing, they’re in the groove

Your feet are tapping’ you want to move

Everyone else is still as a stone

You sure don’t want to be dancing alone

Somebody’s got to be first

Somebody’s got to be first

If it’s gonna be you, you know what to do

Somebody’s got to be first

There’s a new kid in town, no one knows him at all

He’s terribly shy, nobody’s made a call

People are wondering if they should be friends

I think you can guess how this story ends

Somebody’s got to be first

Somebody’s got to be first

That someone new might have been you

Somebody’s got to be first

Somebody’s got to be first

If I Had a Hammer

by Pete Seeger and Lee Hayes

If I had a hammer,
I'd hammer in the morning
I'd hammer in the evening,
All over this land
I'd hammer out danger,
I'd hammer out a warning,
I'd hammer out love between my brothers and my sisters,
All over this land.

If I had a bell,
I'd ring it in the morning,
I'd ring it in the evening,
All over this land
I'd ring out danger,
I'd ring out a warning
I'd ring out love between my brothers and my sisters,
All over this land.

If I had a song,
I'd sing it in the morning,
I'd sing it in the evening,
All over this land
I'd sing out danger,
I'd sing out a warning
I'd sing out love between my brothers and my sisters,
All over this land.

Well I got a hammer,
And I got a bell,
And I got a song to sing, all over this land.
It's the hammer of Justice,
It's the bell of Freedom,
It's the song about love between my brothers and my sisters,
All over this land