Juneteenth National Holiday's Song

There was a time where if you were black or colored, you could not see a white person eye to eye. There was a time where you had to bow to others because you were not their race. There was a time where you had to give them anything they wanted and run along. My father told me of such a time and my mother reiterated about that time. You see he said, because your ancestors were slaves, they did not care much about you. They thought nothing for your life and cared little about your affairs even when freed, you were treated like servants. You could not prosper much more than white person. You could not be equal just separated. You could not speak to a white person without sir or madam. The punishment could mean lynching and hanging in extreme and at least a strike,a fist, a punch to the face besides court punishment and destroying personal properties. People were as rough as the mountains. People were as mean as the night. People were hurtful and indifferent. But that time is over, the story lives on. So I dedicated this song, Lift our Heads to remembering the time when we weren't freed and to recognized that this time we are. We are freed to lift our heads to look each other in the eye. We are freed to be strong and resilent. We are freed to walk together and hold hands and march together. We are freed to be who we are meant to be. Those chains of racism, ageism, sexism, and classism are broken because of those who fought before us. Those who were willing to die for us. Those who were willing to live out the dreams of a freed America. We owe these people remembrance. We owe them. It is our job to preserve the freedom for which others had sacrificed for. It is our job to fight the good fight for justice and ensure the future of all people. And the fight isn't over, the fight is still real. We still see injustices. We still see societal problems. We still see suffering. But if we lift our heads, if we lift others' heads. With hope in humanity, with hope in unity, with hope in selfless love then we can mount to anything. And our freedom is secured by protecting the freedom of others. Freedom is nothing alone. Freedom must be proclaimed. Freedom must be delivered. Freedom must be paid in full in order to mean something. Freedom is being guided by your heart and doing what's right. It is respecting others. It is preserving faith. It is true love for each other. It is helping when you can. It is building up people and not tearing down. It is rebuking the wrong and calling out the hatred. Freedom cannot compromise truth. Freedom cannot overlook or turn away from evil. Freedom must pierce evil in its eye and take it out. So we lift our heads above threats, we lift our heads above lies, we lift our heads above division. We lift our heads above till we see what evil has been hiding which is the truth that we all are free. That we all are equal, that all have right to life, that we all have right to hope, that we all have right to do what's best for us. We must lift our heads inspite of the struggle. We must lift our heads inspite of punishment. We must lift our heads inspite of the chaos till freedom ring from every corner and justice is given to everyone.