Dr. Adolphus Hailstork, composer
Dr. Herbert Martin, librettist
1. A Black Mother’s Commandment
This is my commandment;
Obey! You must obey me!
You were born dark;
on the other side of the sun.
On the other side are laws that
govern white men and their attitudes;
those laws and attitudes, will not
consider you in any way;
they will take no notice of your heart.
Do what they tell you
they are the law at that moment
not what you believe to be true,
Swallow your pride, if any is in you that
rises up at that moment.
Tell them I know you. Be quiet. Be careful.
Remember this is what
I require of your behavior.
This is what I require of you!
I do not know what I will find
when I get the news that you are jailed,
and I have to go and hire a lawyer
after which I finally get to that jailhouse:
I do not know what I will find;
I do not know what I will find.
II.
When you go downtown
Dress yourself in politeness
Let goodwill be the buttons
On your white shirt for
If you are arrested
Politeness may restrain them
(The police)
That may protect you until I can get there
With a lawyer of salvation
That will let me bring you home.
In that jail, I do not know
what I shall find.
This is my commandment
follow it in the face of all
absurdity that is put before you
for I do not know what I will find
in that prison for black men.
III.
Breonna Taylor. Emmett Till. George Floyd.
The sun is in my work
The light is in my eyes
A shadow is cast before me
Where ever I step
I know it is me,
I know it is me!
IV.
We are dark, but we are not the night
We are skin but we are not the darkness
Our mothers raised us in the shadow of love
They gave us the words of determination
They said it would never leave us alone
So no matter how many men may die
Determination will not leave us!
Our strength will not abandon us!
These were their gifts
Meant to be our strength
Meant to secure our righteousness
So if we die we shall die for the iniquities
Of those who refuse to celebrate our humanity.
V.
Our war has been fought for freedom!
Our war has been fought for justice!
We stand here skin, flesh, blood and bone.
We have honed the love of freedom
We have honed the love of justice
What we seek is light
The glory of light!
Let the law fall like light around our shoulders
Let the law descend like light around our shoulders
For nothing shall leave us in the darkness
Nothing shall dispel our hope!
Folk Song
Every mail day, mail day I get a letter
Mama say come home boy, My Lord come on home
Every mail day, mail day I get a letter
Mama say come home boy, My Lord, come on home
I write and tell her Justice bars the way
Mama say come on home
I write and tell her freedom’s lost the way
Still she says: Come home boy, now!
Have you ever seen a knee on a neck
Chile that stops all breathing; Come home, child, home
There’s a virus going round taking names
It has taken my neighbor’s name
And has left my heart in pain
O Death is the virus going ’round
Death is taking names
Death is taking names
A Gambler’s Rhyme
A knee to the neck
A knee to the neck
Make you lose a human bet
Make you lose a whole lotta debt
A knee on a neck
A knee on a neck
Hymn
We shall abide together
And sing a worthy song
We shall abide together
To sing a worthy song
The road is harsh and long
Our feet are tired
But our will is strong
Even as sorrow
Overwhelms our prayers
And we will overcome!
Our will is fortified
It is determined
It is strong
And we
Shall overcome!