1964

it sho would be nice ta live ina big house with ma own fields a cotton an a handsome young spouse wi' ma own servants to watch ova' the chores i be off to the market an into the stores i'm jus a youn' girl that wishes to be safe ina own neighba'hood regardless of race eventually it did happen after many many years don' be fooled by time, bigotry hasn't disappeared though eventually, id be to school with all the otha kids i's have new shoes 'stead the ones that they is It was 1964 on a lonely bus stop bench i'd seen groups of protesters come to stop the lynch i seen boycotts, murders and the supreme court's rule but the states agenda was ever so cruel there was a march to Washington and inspiration from Dr. King we heard from Malcom X an the baptist choir sing the army was sent to keep the peace 'cos the violence in our communities had to cease they was peaceful protests and sit ins that ended in blood every small step was a small victory for us they was blacks, whites, and women lining the streets their lives on the line, resistant to defeat only wanting to be treated jus like the rest separate but equal was a false conquest it took lotsa blood, sweat, and even mo tears now i have a house after all these years i did go to school and voted with my peers im proud to be called a civil rights pioneer it took all this time to be treated the same i seen alotta hate and felt alotta pain without those who spoke out it would still be a crime to drink from this fountain or look a white in his eye i was just a girl on a nineteen-sixty-four bench it was my first time i could without a punishment President Johnson declared something new the "discrimination in all public places is prohibited" break through By Samantha Holladay [email protected]