Part 3

Continuing the Journey

TRACK 15 SERVING THE LEGACY (JULIAN BOND, FRANKLIN MCCAIN, DR. HAROLD L MARTIN, SR., RASHARD JONES) (3:22)

    • SNAPSHOT: The narrator and children ask, how can young people carry on the legacy of civil rights? Civil rights leaders respond, telling the next generation what they can do to continue the fight for civil rights: learn about the movement and commit to continuing it, get an education, be role models, and do not take freedom for granted, but maintain and expand it. 

    • THEMES: Responsibility, commitment, finding your own path

    • TEXT: TRANSCRIPT, SERVING THE LEGACY

TRACK 16 CATCH THE FIRE (2:22)

  • SNAPSHOT:  Sonya Sanchez’s impassioned poem implores African American brothers and sisters to remember the “fire of Blackness”: the strength and purpose that built the pyramids, created sublime art and beauty, and forced change in past generations. She asks her readers to find righteous passion and power within themselves-  to “catch the fire” and live.  

  • THEMES: Choosing unity and creativity over violence  

  • TEXT: "CATCH THE FIRE" 

TRACK 17 EDUCATION (2:08) 

  • SNAPSHOT: This song combines a children’s chorus and musicians singing about education, interspersed with excerpted quotations from some of the speakers featured in this project, as they talking about school with enthusiasm and joy. 

  • THEMES: Reading, learning, opportunity

  • TEXT: “EDUCATION” LYRICS

TRACK 18 FOLLOWING YOUR DREAMS (HENRY FRYE & SHIRLEY FRYE, SHIRLEY FRANKLIN, AND RASHARD JONES  (4:09)

  • SNAPSHOT: The narrator introduces each speaker. One by one they reflect on their educations, the importance of education, and about pursuing their dreams.   

  • THEMES: Role models, perseverance, dreaming big

  • TEXT: TRANSCRIPT, FOLLOWING YOUR DREAMS.

TRACK 19 SOMEONE THINKS (3:45)

  • SNAPSHOT: This song starts with a young girl doubting herself, and the singer responds with a strong affirmation of the girl’s “light”: she is a wonderful, worthy, beautiful person. The song addresses how much it hurts when our dreams die and we no longer believe in ourselves, and says that  “someone”  always thinks we are beautiful, and that we must believe in each other.

  • THEMES: Self-worth, affirmation, the value of each individual, banishing doubt

  • TEXT/ LYRICS: “SOMEONE THINKS” LYRICS

TRACK 20 VISION FOR THE NEXT GENERATION - BERNARD C. WATSON, ISAIAH TIDWELL, SHIRLEY FRANKLIN, AND JOHN LEWIS  (3:11)

  • SNAPSHOT: The narrator introduces speakers, and they each reflect on the need to keep building our democracy, and to organize, vote, and find common ground so we can work together. Each speaker declares in their own way that if we truly want freedom, we must be willing to work hard for all Americans and all people everywhere, and it is time for a new generation of young people to lead the way. 

  • THEMES: Humanity is a family, citizenship, power, heroes and sheroes, moral obligation

  • TEXT: TRANSCRIPT, VISION FOR THE NEXT GENERATION