Will we vote in November???????????????

" Lift Every Voice and Sing"

Lift every voice and sing,
'Til earth and heaven ring,
Ring with the harmonies of Liberty;
Let our rejoicing rise
High as the listening skies,
Let it resound loud as the rolling sea.
Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us,
Sing a song full of the hope that the present has bought us;
Facing the rising sun of our new day begun,
Let us march on 'til victory is won.

Stony the road we trod,
Bitter the chast' ning rod,
Felt in the days when hope unborn had died;
Yet with a steady beat,
Have not our weary feet
Come to the place for which our fathers sighed?
We have come over a way that with tears has been watered,
We have come, treading our path through the blood of the
slaughtered, Out from the gloomy past,
'Til now we stand at last
Where the white gleam of our bright star is cast.

God of our weary years,
God of our silent tears,
Thou who has brought us thus far on the way;
Thou who has by Thy might
Led us into the light,
Keep us forever in the path, we pray.
Lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met Thee,
Lest, our hearts drunk with the wine of the world, we forget Thee;
Shadowed beneath Thy hand,
May we forever stand,
True to our God,
True to our native land.

---- James Weldon Johnson (1871-1938)


This beautiful poem was written by James Weldon Johnson. "It is often called The Negro National Anthem. "Lift Every Voice and Sing" was publicly performed first as a poem in Jacksonville, Florida as part of a celebration of Lincoln's Birthday on February 12, 1900 by 500 school children at the segregated Staton School. Its principal, James Weldon Johnson, wrote the words to introduce its honored guest Booker T. Washington.

The poem was later set to music by Mr. Johnson's brother, John, in 1905. Singing this song quickly became a way for African Americans to demonstrate their patriotism and hope for the future. In calling for earth and heaven to "ring with the harmonies of Liberty,"they could speak out subtly against racism and Jim Crow laws-- and especially the huge number of lynchings accompanying the rise of the Ku Klux Klan at the turn of the century. In 1919, the NAACP adopted the song as "The Negro National Anthem." By the 1920's, copies of "Lift Every Voice and Sing" could be found in black churches across the country, often pasted into the hymnals.

In 1939, Augusta Savage received a commission from the World's Fair and created a 16 foot tall plaster sculpture called Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing. Savage did not have any funds for a bronze cast, or even to move and store it, and it was destroyed by bulldozers at the close of the fair.(1)

During and after the American Civil Rights Movements, the song experienced a rebirth, and by the 1970s was often sung immediately after "The Star Spangled Banner" at public events and performances across the United States where the event had a significant African - American population.

In Maya Angelou's 1969 autobiography, I know why the Caged Bird Sings, the song is sung by the audience and students at Maya's eighth grade graduation, after a white school official dashes the educational aspirations of her class.(2)

In 1990, singer Melba Moore released a modern rendition of the song, which she recorded along with others including R&B artist Anita Baker, Stephanie Mills, Dionne Warwick, Bobby Brown, Stevie Wonder, Jeffrey Osborne, and Howard Hewett; and gospel artist Bebe and Cece Winans, Take 6, and The Clark Sisters. Partly because of the success of this recording, "Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing" was entered into the Congressional Recorded as the official African American National Hymn." ----Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (Redirected from Negro National Anthem)


African - Americans have been through terrible things just so we can have the right to vote. I am so afraid that we as African Americans will not come out in record numbers, and vote this November. Yet, still in very large number there are alot of African Americans who have not registerd to vote!!!!!! This is very disappointing, we sit around and complain about the way the world is going, and we do not use our right vote to make the necessary change in the world. We need to register to vote by Oct 4th 2008. I am already registered, are you???? In this historical time of voting, we as Africans Americans need to get up off of our behinds register by October 4th, and vote this November, and every voting season.

We can lift our voices and sing very loudly by using our voice of voting this November. It does not matter which candidates you may have chosen, just vote.

Always waiting to hear from you.


-----Ebony Queen

Watch what comes out of your pie hole (your mouth).

I was watching Rick Sanchez on CNN the other day, and the question was posed, do I think The Georgian Congressman was wrong for using the word "UPPITY".


I tried to respond to the question, but was not able to get my answer to question through. So, I decided to put my answer on my blog. I also had an opinon about the comments that Former Mayor Guliani and Gov. Palin made about Community Organizers.


Yes, I do think The Georgian Congressman was wrong for using the word uppity. I do not believe his story when he said that he could not find another word to use. I believe he knew what he saying when he used that word. He knew that uppity is a term used during the slavery and The Jim Crow Laws era. He knew that it was a term used only toward African-Americans during that time.

I believe when he said that he thinks that Sen. Obama and his wife were uppity. I believe he meant use of the term uppity around the slavery era. The term used in this era meant that the slave was stepping out of their place of servitude.


The comments made by Former Mayor Guliani and Gov. Palin about community leader/organizer were very offensive toward African-Americans, Urban communities, Rural communities, and any other place that have community leaders.


I believe they need to first find out what Community Organizers do, and how they are useful to the community. When stupid blanket statements like these are made, the person who made them ends up looking like the fool.


I believe these statements were are a slam against the African-Americans, Urban, Rural, and all other communities that have Community Organizers. Gov. Palin and Former Mayor Guliani are so out of touch with reality. Don't they know that Community Organizers work to get the community help to get crime, drugs, and injustice out of their communities.


The African - American community has had many great community leaders, such as Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Rev. Jesse Jackson, and many others. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other community leaders fought against racial injustice, and fought for Civil Rights. Jesus Christ is the GREATEST COMMUNITY ORGANIZER of all. The Republican Party is suppose to be so religious, well what happened here.


In my opinion, anyone who laughs or makes jokes about someone, or people who are trying to bring about CHANGE for the good of the people, just like COMMUNITY LEADERS, the people who laugh are giggling idiots.

Whine, Whine, Whine, .... you did not get your way.

Why do we whine when we do not get our way? Why are we always crying all the time?


I just saw on the news today that the republican women are protesting The Oprah Winfrey Show, because she would not allow Gov. Palin on her show. Now, we all know that Oprah supports Sen. Obama. Why would she have Gov. Palin on her show????

In my opinion, they should not have even posed the question to Oprah. Surely, they knew that she supports a democrat. That was very stupid on their part. Oprah said that she is not using her show for a platform for any political candidate. In other words that is not what her show is all about.


So, now they are all whining, and organizing a boycott against The Oprah Winfrey Show for not allowing Gov. Palin on her show. Can you say 1-800 -W-H-I-N-E, whine, whine.


I am appealing to all who are reading continue watch the Oprah Winfrey Show. Do not stop watching the show just because some republican women are upset and whining about their stupid mistake.

How do you get a heavy weight off of your shoulders?

Have you ever had something really bother you, but you did not know how to articulate it. In other words, have you ever had something bother you so bad, but you did not know how to explain it to anyone?

Well, I have found that one good way to get things off of your chest is to write it down in your own personal diary, notebook, or if it is something that you do not mind sharing with people, put it on your own personal blog. You know, this blogging is really fun.

What about you, do you think that writing is a good way to things off of your chest?


Always waiting to hear from you,


-----Ebony Queen

What do you do to relax?????

Relaxing is such an important thing to do in these days and times. There is so much stress around us. Praying, Reading, writing, watching TV, exercising, getting a massage, spa treatment, Yoga, Tai chi, etc.... The list can go on and on.


I ask this question because I am about to take on what could be a hectic schedule again. The first time I did this, I was not relaxed. I had dark circles under my eyes, I looked like I was tired all the time. So, I ask you America, what do you do to relax.


I am eager to here some of your suggestions.



I always waiting on your reply,




------ Ebony Queen