It occurred to me today that I had not posted a song that very much exemplifies strength and determination for me. "Lift Every Voice And Sing" is considered the "Negro {updated to African American} National Anthem. At one time [pre-1980s] when African Americans attended religious or non-religious events, most people in attendance-adults, teens, or children of a certain age, knew this song. When this song was sung everyone was expected to stand up out of respect for our ancestors and what they had gone through for us.

Unfortunately, it has been my experience that far fewer African Americans know this song, and unless someone reminds them most African Americans don't know of the tradition to stand when this song is sung....

The 2nd verse of "Lift Every Voice and Sing" is probably most applicable to this thread. However, I will post all the words of this song:


LIFT EVERY VOICE AND SING   
by James Weldon Johnson, music by J. Rosamond Johnson {1900)

Lift ev'ry voice and sing,
Till earth and heaven ring,
Ring with the harmonies of Liberty;
Let our rejoicing rise
High as the list'ning 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 chast'ning 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.

-snip-

For more information and online examples of this song, click HERE