The Nashville globe. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1906-193?, 1913-01-24
"REMINISCENCES.
By Cora JUANrrA JORDAN

Fifty years ago after years Of toll,
OF carrying burdens and tllling soil,
OF mental anguish and physical pain
For others good and another's gain;
The black man stood on the avenue dim
OF the life of Freedom awaiting him.
The thing long prayed for had come to pass,
Gods hand had loosed their bonds at last
And now he stood on slaverys grave
In the land of the free and the home of brave.
Four million souls by slavery cursed,
Four million souls by poverty nursed,
Four million souls in black skins incased,
Homeless, pennilesss-the Southland's waste,
Set out this day fifty years ago.
Where they were going they did not guess,
Where they were going they did not know,
But firmly believing God knoweth best,
Then entrusted themselves to His tender care,
Firmly convinced He would answer prayer.
AS Israel of old, Gods hand had released them,
AS a pillar Of fire he went on before them,
But ere they long on the road had been,
The sound of rushing and battle din,
Fell like thunder upon their ears,
As Pharoah's host on their trail appears,
In the form of scorn, race prejudice and hate,
Hounding them on to an unseen fate,
Shutting doors of progress In their face,
Making it hard for the black skinned race.
They came through toll, hatred and strife,
Denied the privilege or making a life,
Their rights ~rescinded, their sons oppressed,
Their progress yelled, their faults expressed,
All is denied them that manhood would crave,
In the land Of the free and the home OF the brave.
They are made the subject of brutal scores,
On their head evil vengeance pours,
Behind closed doors their fate is sealed,
No ear will listen to their appeal.
AS Israel of old for years tramped,
Getting Gods seal on their character stamped
Kept by oppression close to his throne,
Letting God make them His very own;
Strengthening themselves in His recruiting station,
Learning to become a part of the nation,
Grasping for knowledge where ever they went,
On towards a certain standard bent,
Becoming the equal of any man,
OF any cline, of any land.
To-day the standard Is nearly reached,
To-day the walls are nearly preached,
To-day we stand in armour ready,
With head held high, our pulse beat steady,
Efficient, proficient and learned we stand,
One great united black skinned band,
Looking the world square in the face,
Making a name for our race,
Proud of our progress, forgetting strife,
Glad of what we have made of life.
The world looks on a~stonished, surprised,
At the Negroes sure but rapid rise,
Laws are made to fix his station,
Even in this, our own great nation,
But the ways of God are past finding out,
In his own way things come about
The making of nations is In his hand,
His power is felt in every land,
He makes great empires and lets them fall,
He reckons not with men and laws.
The walls of Jericho must early fall,
Walls of Infamous, unfair laws,
The time is coming, it must come soon
When for every man their will be room,
When the white man acknowledges his brother, the blaci
And they both will live in this great Southlanu,
Respecting the rights Of aech the other,
AS man to man and brother to brother
And God above as one great Maker,
The father, friend and great caretaker.
Like Israel of old, to-day we stand,
BY the river Jordan of the promised land,
Just a few more days and we'll enter in
To take our place as a race of men.
Men of thought, intelligent, cultured,
Men by years of schooling nurtured,
Trained in the head, the heart, the hand,
Will take their places in this great land.
Will take these places and nobly fill them,
For God knows best and he is with them.