old cow skin whip, laden with wire and glass
steals black flesh with every beastly lash
dog-tired bones, left cotton in boll
this beating has freed a weary soul

slaves sing their stories in the field
news, and prayers for those who heal
children stolen from a young mom
Josiah Henson, hero, valiant, no uncle tom

emancipation, Lincoln sign, so why not free
his proclamation, signed in Jan. 1^st 1863
slaves in the north fought real hard
in a civil war, beaten and scarred

two and a half years, slaves dying
tarred, feathered, hung up, set fire, frying
Major General Granger to Texas to free slaves
June 19, 1865, lot of dead slaves in-between those days

13^th amendment ratified on December 6 of that year
Lincoln dead but his law is finally crystal clear
slaves to be free, WAIT is the black man free
Michael Donald, March 1981, hangs from tree

Gray-haired cypress still bleed from sea to shining sea

Historical Timeline Links:  Juneteenth on Wikipedia, Abraham Lincoln and Emancipation (Library of Congress)  

I will be traveling to an appointment which is a long drive and then in the appointment for several hours or I would have left this open for comments.  This is an extremely important day in the history of all the African Americans that were slaves and all the people that are still held in slavery around the world today.  I pray that someday this country will finally be freed of all slavery and that black children can leave their homes in the morning to go to school without their parents being afraid that they may not make it home.