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20 Jun 20 - 11:40 PM (#4060454) Subject: Lyr Add: Freedom Here (Maria Dunn) From: Joe Offer A powerful song to explore Her parents came to Wildwood before she was born Searching for a life away from Oklahoma's scorn It's laws to keep Black farmers down and Old Jim Crow once more Old Jim Crow once more Any healthy citizen, ten dollars in their hand Had the right to homestead in Alberta's promised land No thanks to Mr. Oliver who tried to have them banned Tried to have them banned Hardly a welcome for a black pioneer But at least hard times came with freedom here Her parents taught her hard work, and freedom so hard won Hard thinking and hard praying when all was said and done "Your strength, girl, runs inside you, be proud of where you're from Proud of where you're from" And only seventeen, a teacher she became Some white folk in those prairie towns they called her every name But their narrow minds upon her, lord, they had no claim Upon her had no claim For every hand that helped her, she took another's grasp For every smile of comfort, she smiled another back For every shout that slapped her, well she kept on striding past, Kept on striding past And so she lived an honest life, mostly spent her time Drinking from the cup she believed was hers divine And the more that she did drink it, oh the sweeter was the wine, Sweeter was the wine https://www.antiwarsongs.org/canzone.php?lang=en&id=9290 |