As I sat in the balcony enjoying the Celebration of Black History concert sponsored by the Recorder, Mays Chemical Co., and IPL, I found myself in a deeply reflective mood.
Part of that reflection was caused by the talented musicians at the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, who expertly performed on their own and as a backdrop to the rap lyrics of local emcee Tony Styxx (one can’t help but to reflect when hip-hop and classical musical are intertwined, right?). However, the most poignant moment for me was when Light of the World Christian Church’s Voices of Light Choir accompanied the orchestra during its rendition of “We Shall Overcome.”
It was then that I realized a song so synonymous with the civil rights movement is equally as relevant and encouraging today.
As I hummed along, I carefully considered each stanza.
“We shall overcome, we shall overcome,
We shall overcome someday;
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe,
We shall overcome someday.”
During this verse, I thought of all the strife that people in general face: racial discrimination, sexism, ageism, unequal pay and even physical, emotional and verbal bullying. I had to remind myself that even though all these issues persist, we shall and will overcome one day. But even as I tried to be optimistic, the realist in me silently asked the question, “Will we really overcome these “isms?”
That’s when the second verse whipped me back into shape:
“The Lord will see us through, The Lord will see us through,
The Lord will see us through someday;
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe,
We shall overcome someday.”
Trying to remain optimistic, the next couple of verses reminded me that things aren’t as bad as they once were and significant progress has been made in key areas such as race relations and women’s rights.
“We’re on to victory, We’re on to victory,
We’re on to victory someday;
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe,
We’re on to victory someday.
We’ll walk hand in hand, we’ll walk hand in hand,
We’ll walk hand in hand someday;
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe,
We’ll walk hand in hand someday.”
And then, almost on cue, I thought about the upsurge in violence Indianapolis has experienced in recent months and how we can tackle it moving forward.
“We are not afraid, we are not afraid,
We are not afraid today;
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe,
We are not afraid today.”
Being mindful of the fact that the God I serve is not of fear, that particular verse reminded me not to be scared even during times such as these when crime and violence seem to be everyday occurrences. It’s a message I often try to spread in my weekly editorials, as do our writers in various forms of coverage throughout the Recorder: rather than turning a blind eye or a deaf ear to wrongdoings, fear not and report crimes. Don’t look at it as snitching, instead consider it a way to reclaim our neighborhoods and youth.
The next verse said it best:
“The truth shall make us free, the truth shall make us free,
The truth shall make us free someday;
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe,
The truth shall make us free someday.”
The final stanza in this anthem that transcends generations provides the most hope for the future. It’s something good that offers encouragement and a sense of tranquility…something that forces us to be in a calm state while giving us faith that we will one day be free of strife. It is also a great way to end this column and allow each reader time to individually reflect on the powerful messages derived in such a significant song, historically and modern-day.
“We shall live in peace, we shall live in peace,
We shall live in peace someday;
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe,
We shall live in peace someday.”
