Martin, when I think of you,
I think of how you courageously stood tall
Fighting for us all.
Your ability to envision the world as it should be
reshaped our history.
You placed yourself in harms way
So we could enjoy the freedoms we have today.
We are thankful for your faith, your conviction,
and your continued belief that one day, we'd be free
Free, from the chains of adversity.
While we have come a long a way,
it is evident that, for some, the struggle
for freedom is never done.
It will never be over until we learn to live as one.
It will never be over if one man's dream is shattered.
It will never be over as long as we have need to remind
our country that black lives matter.
It will never be over until we, as a nation,
can lift the rug of injustice and sweep away
the dirt that has remained hidden for years.
It will never be over as long as we hesitate to
acknowledge our doubts and our fears.
It will never be over as long as we allow
a President to be blatantly disrespected to his face.
It will never be over as long as one American feels displaced.
It will never be over as long as one man's dream is deferred
by boundaries another has imposed, and the doors of opportunity
are systematically closed.
It will never be over as long as this country
continues to rob the poor man and line the
pockets of the wealthy.
It will never be over as long as any man
is denied the medical care he needs to remain healthy.
It will never be over as long as one person
is harmed by terrorists, extremists and supremacists,
annihilators and haters killing the innocent anywhere.
It will never be over as long as there is injustice anywhere.
It will never be over until black and brown boys and girls are
provided adequate tools with which to learn.
It will never be over until, in this nation,
there is equity in money earned.
The work will never be over,
and America will never be the America of our dreams
until we finally understand what freedom and justice for ALL
really means.
It will never be over until every man can live not only freely
and equally, but safely in this world.
It will never be over.
No, it will never be over.
copyright 2016, Patricia Newman-Harris