I'm a volunteer in Freedmen's Town
Where they shut the public library down
And the residents who move away
Die of depression
They tried to escape
There were soldiers from the Civil War
Buried here, but not anymore
With the working poor and former slaves,
Their history remains,
But not in their graves
It's a racket here in Freedmen's Town
With every court ruling they've handed down,
Taking land by eminent do-main . . .
We're still waiting here in Freedmen's Town
For civil rights our leaders expound
Like Dr. King who once had a dream
Our children would know
What it means to be free
Free to suffer under government
That corrupts our right to consent
No, we had to teach ourselves to read
The federal laws
That no one will heed
There's no justice here in Freedmen's Town
Are we afraid to let America see
The architecture of Black history?
Are we more perfect? Does freedom depend
If we own land, or we're still - paying rent?
Redevelopers in Freedmen's Town
Tear our streets up and houses down
Where's the public housing built for the vets?
How many of them
Are still homeless yet?
It's a struggle here in Freedmen's Town
Where the Camp Logan riots went down
And the battle rages on to-day . . .
So I'm asking everyone to pray
For the people down in Freedmen's Town.
Please endorse the Youth Master Plan for Fourth Ward:
http://www.houstonprogressive.org/4dyouthresolution.html