In Honor of Black History Month (100 words)

Today we march

as free men not yet freed,

as citizens separated from citizenship,

moving from shadows of shackled feet

from shores where slave ships

emptied cattle and Black men;

chattels of undifferentiated dignity.

Today we march

for America to embrace a dream as truth

that All men are created equal,

where All are welcomed from the front door,

where All children attend neighborhood schools,

and All prayers answered by God, not bombs.

Today we march

facing a hail of verbal abuse,

rocks, police dogs, clubs and tear gas;

to extinguish the heat from backs

burning under oppression.

We march!