Classic Poem

1

As the eagle soars skyward
Each day in her flight
The Negro soars upward
From darkness to light.

2

He has flown from his cabin
His banjo and pranks
To position and honor
To title and rank.

3

His brother in white
Is no longer his peer
He is the equal of any man
Found anywhere.

4

He left slavery's shore
And for knowledge he sought
Today he is a giant
In the city of thought.

5

He is not begging for favors
Along so called social lines
He wants equal rights
For this only, he pines.

6

He's a citizen in peace
He is a soldier in the war's din
But he asks for the treatment
That is given to other men.