Protest and Unrest

(To mark the day of the dedication of the
Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial – 10-16-2011)

We march For the human right
To prosper
To grow
In proportion to our aims and dreams
For which we aspire.

We rally
Around the flag
Of equal opportunities
Established and afforded
For all who apply
Empowered as rightfully given and inherited
By our pre-destiny
As we the people
Taking the pathway
Which leads
To the MLK right of way
Of change a’comin’
With the dawn

As we stretch upwards
Our hands
To higher heights
For we who believe
In freedom cannot rest.
Shouldering our faith and hope
In the possibilities

We pray for justice
And human dignity for all.
For out of a mountain of despair
The stone of hope
Is sweet honey in the rock

And we shall overcome
Today
As we press on
In this mounting movement
To transform a nation
Into a beloved community
Where our children can grow
Free and strong.
Amen,
Yes, we can.

We must stand up
And say
Yes to ourselves.

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where
He stands in moments of comfort and convenience
But where he stands at times of challenge
And controversy.” Martin Luther King, Jr.