The DC Voice likes to open Black History Month with the traditional Negro National Anthem- Lift Ev’ry Voice by James Weldon Johnson. Since then there have been other classics such as Black Pearl by Sonny Charles, Checkmates, Ltd., Say it Loud – I\’m Black, and I\’m Proud by James Brown, or Black Butterfly by Deniece Williams. However, Miss Nina Simone\’s – To Be Young, Gifted, and Black is probably the modern era anthem. This post was originally published in February of 2016. It deserves a spot in our annual Black History Month recognition.
*****
February 16, 2016
Photo courtesy of latevoice.com
![\"Photo](\"https://thedcvoice.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/2016-02-10-04.57.30-275x300.png\")
The original body of work \”To Be Young Gifted and Black,\” a poem by Lorraine Hansberry. She then requested Nina Simone to sing the song. Do the words still hold truth in 2016?
To be young, gifted and black,
Oh what a lovely precious dream
To be young, gifted and black,
Open your heart to what I mean
In the whole world you know
There are billion boys and girls
Who are young, gifted and black,
And that\’s a fact!
Young, gifted and black
We must begin to tell our young
There\’s a world waiting for you
This is a quest that\’s just begun
When you feel really low
Yeah, there\’s a great truth you should know
When you\’re young, gifted and black
Your soul\’s intact
Young, gifted and black
How I long to know the truth
There are times when I look back
And I am haunted by my youth
Oh but my joy of today
Is that we can all be proud to say
To be young, gifted and black
Is where it\’s at