JayneWonders
Administrator
- Pronouns
- She/Her/Her
Song leader and civil rights activist Bernice Johnson Reagon has died. She was 81 years old.
In 1963, she co-founded the Freedom Singers, an acapella group that was part of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee, or SNCC.
After her 1967 divorce, Reagon founded the women's acapella group, Sweet Honey in The Rock.
I fell in love with Sweet Honey in the Rocks music in 1977 or so.
Ella's song was one that we would sing time and time again
Ella's Song
Lyrics and music by Bernice Johnson Reagon
Sung by Sweet Honey in the Rock
We who believe in freedom cannot rest
We who believe in freedom cannot rest until it comes
Until the killing of black men, black mothers' sons
Is as important as the killing of white men, white mothers' sons
That which touches me most is that I had a chance to work with people
Passing on to others that which was passed on to me
To me young people come first, they have the courage where we fail
And if I can but shed some light as they carry us through the gale
The older I get the better I know that the secret of my going on
Is when the reins are in the hands of the young, who dare to run against the storm
Not needing to clutch for power, not needing the light just to shine on me
I need to be one in the number as we stand against tyranny
Struggling myself don't mean a whole lot, I've come to realize
That teaching others to stand up and fight is the only way my struggle survives
I'm a woman who speaks in a voice and I must be heard
At times I can be quite difficult, I'll bow to no man's word
We who believe in freedom cannot rest
We who believe in freedom cannot rest until it comes
In 1963, she co-founded the Freedom Singers, an acapella group that was part of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee, or SNCC.
After her 1967 divorce, Reagon founded the women's acapella group, Sweet Honey in The Rock.
I fell in love with Sweet Honey in the Rocks music in 1977 or so.
Ella's song was one that we would sing time and time again
Ella's Song
Lyrics and music by Bernice Johnson Reagon
Sung by Sweet Honey in the Rock
We who believe in freedom cannot rest
We who believe in freedom cannot rest until it comes
Until the killing of black men, black mothers' sons
Is as important as the killing of white men, white mothers' sons
That which touches me most is that I had a chance to work with people
Passing on to others that which was passed on to me
To me young people come first, they have the courage where we fail
And if I can but shed some light as they carry us through the gale
The older I get the better I know that the secret of my going on
Is when the reins are in the hands of the young, who dare to run against the storm
Not needing to clutch for power, not needing the light just to shine on me
I need to be one in the number as we stand against tyranny
Struggling myself don't mean a whole lot, I've come to realize
That teaching others to stand up and fight is the only way my struggle survives
I'm a woman who speaks in a voice and I must be heard
At times I can be quite difficult, I'll bow to no man's word
We who believe in freedom cannot rest
We who believe in freedom cannot rest until it comes