In honor of Black History Month, the Susquehanna Chapter of Blacks In Government (BIG) presented a special breakfast this past Saturday featuring Edgewood Chemical Biological Center (ECBC) employees Eugene Vickers and Phyllis Brown as the guest speaker and guest poet, respectively. Below is Brown's poem, "It Didn't Come Free:"
So you ask - What does BHM mean to me?
Listen and I will tell you.
Our History – Black History
There are more Stories unheard than told
Sufferings, Sadness and Shame
Men, Women and Children – all the same
Degrading, Demoralizing, Disbeliefs
Divided and Sold
Too much to bear – Oh what Grief!
Rejected, Repressed
Look all around and I will show you.
Citizenship – It didn’t come Free!
Education – It didn’t come Free!
Compensation for Employment – It didn’t come Free!
Freedom,
It would not be so,
If those before me were not bold
to attest, contest, and protest.
Young and Old.
Reconciliation, Restoration
Oh there is a resounding spirit of resiliency
Triumphs weaving in and out,
For every tear shed, there is
Courage, Honor, and Strength about.
So BHM is a time for recollection, remembrance, and reflection
Of those shoulders I stand on.
Survivals, Dreamers, Warriors
Because of these Truths,
I celebrate every Defeat, every Victory,
And thank God for the
Achievements, Contributions, and Successes.
For I know
The right to be ME
It Didn’t Come Free!
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