I was awoken this morning through the morning light
Todays the day I can feel it in my bones
The 14th amendment didn’t work I know
But the 15th will I must have hope
Hope,
What a strange word for last four years
Four years
Has it only been four years that we’ve been fighting
It seems so much longer
The scalawags have been here for not too long
Or at least that’s what they call them
I call them hope
You seem I am a black man
I have a family
We can now vote
We are no longer getting whipped
We are free
That’s all that matters to me
I know we don’t own our own land
And many foke don’t treat us right
But were free and we have our man in office
Mr. Ulysses S. Grant he will make us proud.
I believe in him
I have to
He’s all we have
Our hope is all us black foke have
I don’t know how to do much
I’ve been a slave all my life but I do know how to do one thing
And that is hope
So pray with me brothers and sisters a like
Tonight the black man is free
Tomorrow a woman will be free
Soon we will be equal
Because that is the American dream.