Dr. Adolphus Hailstork, composer
Dr. Herbert Martin, librettist

1. A Black Mother’s Commandment
This is my commandment;
you should obey it.
You were born dark;
on the other side of the sun.
on the other side are laws that
govern white men and their attitudes;
those laws and attitudes, will not
consider you in any way;
they will take no notice of your heart.
Do what they tell you because
they are the law at that moment
not what you believe to be true,
Swallow your pride, if any is in you that
rises up at that moment.
Tell them I know you. Be quiet.
Remember this is what
I require of your behavior.
This is what I require of you!
I do not know what I will find
when I get the news that you are jailed,
and I have to go and hire a lawye
after which I finally get to that jailhouse:
I do not know what I will find;
I do not know what I shall find.

II.
When you go downtown
Dress yourself in politeness
Let goodwill be the buttons
On your white shirt for
If you are arrested
Politeness will restrain
The police and it will
Protect you until I can get there
With a lawyer of salvation
That will let me bring you home.
In that jail, I do not know
what I shall find.
This is my commandment
follow it in the face of all
absurdity that is set before you
for I do not know what I shall find
in that prison for black men

III.
The sun is in my work
The light is in my eyes
A shadow is cast before me
Where ever I step
I know it is me,
I know it is me!

IV.
We are dark, but we are not the night
We are skin but we are not the darkness
Our mothers raised us in the shadow of love
They infected us with the stamina of strength
They gave us the words of determination
They said it would never leave us alone
So no matter how many men may die
Determination will not leave us!
Strength will not abandon us!
These were their gifts
Meant to be our strength
Meant to secure our righteousness
So if we die we shall die for the iniquities
Of those who refuse to celebrate our manhood.

V.
A war has been fought for freedom
A war has been fought for justice
We stand here skin, flesh muscle, blood and bone.
We have horned the love of freedom
We have horned the love of justice
What we seek is the light
What we crave is the gloriousness of light.
Let the law fall like light around our shoulders
Let the law descend like light around our shoulders
For nothing shall leave us in the darkness
Nothing shall dispel our hope in darkness.

Folk Song

Every mail day, mail day I get a letter 

                             Mama say come home boy My Lord come on home

Every mail day, mail day I get a letter

                             Mama say come home boy, My Lord, come on home

I write and tell her Justice bars the way

                              Mama say come on home

I write and tell her freedom has lost the way

                              Still she writes and says: Come on home

Have you ever seen a knee on a neck

                              Chile that stops all breathing;  Home, Home

There’s a virus going round taking names

                               It has taken my neighbor’s name

And has left my heart in pain

                              O Death is the virus going 'round

Death is taking names                               

                              Death is taking names

A Gambler’s Rhyme
A knee to the neck
A knee to the neck
Make you lose a human bet
Put you in a whole lot of debt
A knee to the neck
A knee to the neck

Hymn We shall abide together
And sing a worthy song
We shall abide together
To sing a worthy song
For the road is harsh and long
Our feet are tired
But our will is strong
Even as sorrow
Overwhelms our prayers
And we will overcome!
Our will is fortified
It is determined
It is strong
And we
Shall overcome!