The Voice of the Negro
All ye nations, pause a moment! listen to the Negro's voice,
Coming up from all vocations where his life has made a choice!
Listen to each rank or station, as you cross the sea of time,
It is heard in ev'ry nation, any race and ev'ry clime.
If you'll go among the tradesmen and their work of worth inspect,
If you'll tarry with the lowly and their lack of skill detect,
If you'll travel o'er the planet, filled with thought, with action stirred,
In them all you'll find, my brother, that the Negro's voice is heard.
Search the patents of invention, or the soldiers record find,
Peep into the author's study, or the poet keep in mind,
In the avenues of science or the broadest fields of art,
You. will hear the voice of Negroes as they bravely play their part.
As good lawyers and physicians, or as men who're called to preach.
As an orator and statesman who the hearts of people reach,
As you view the great professions that have made the world rejoice,
If you'll listen for a moment, you will hear the Negro's voice.
'Tis a voice that cries for justice, not for favors to be shown,
For an equal chance with others, for a manhood of its own,
Give that voice a proper hearing in the forum of the world,
Then all prejudice and envy from the race will soon be hurled.
poem by Lizelia Augusta Jenkins Moorer
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Related quotes
That Voice Again
I want to be with you
I want to be clear
But each time I try
Its the voice I hear
I hear that voice again
Im listening to the conversation
Judge and jury in my head
Its colouring everything
All we did and said
And still I head that sharp tongue talking
Talking tangled words
I can sense the danger
Just listen to the wind
I want you close I want you near
I cant help but listen
But I dont want to hear
Hear that voice again
I want to be with you
I want to be clear
But each time I try
Its the voice I hear
I hear that voice again
Im hearing right and wrong so clearly
There must be more than this
Its only in uncertainty
That were naked and alive
I hear it through the rattle of a streetcar
Hear it through the things you said
I can get so scared
Listen to the wind
I want you close I want you near
I cant help but listen
But I dont want to hear
Hear that voice again
What I carry in my heart
Brings us so close or so far apart
Only love can make love
I want you close I want you near
I cant help but listen
But I dont want to hear
I hear that voice again
I want to be with you
I want to be clear
But each time I try
Its the voice I hear
I hear that voice again
song performed by by Peter Gabriel
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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I Hear
(diana ross/stan scates)
What is this i hear
Falling softly in my ears
Quietly telling me to wipe away my tears
Yesterdays are gone
And love has cleared the way
No matter who you are
You can touch the stars
Life's interactions can make you smile
Just listen to the voice in your heart
The voice is near you, it's never too far
The voice is with you, where ever you are
It's closer than close, calling to your heart
I hear the voice of love
I hear the voice of love
The voice will never leave you
It lives deep down inside
It's calling you, asking you
To open up your heart
All things are achievable
Nothing is impossible
You can reach your highest high
You can make it if you try
Life's interactions can make you smile
Just listen to the voice in your heart
The voice is near you, it's never too far
The voice is with you, where ever you are
It's closer than close, calling to your heart
I hear the voice of love
I hear the voice of love
Follow where it leads you in the dark
The voice will guide your heart
The voice is always near
I hear the voice, i found the voice
From the mountains to the sea
The voice of love is calling me
Where ever you are, the voice is near you
It's never too far, the voice is with you
I hear the voice of love
I hear the voice of love
I hear the voice of love
song performed by by Diana Ross
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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In a Child's Voice
Listen to the voice of a child
You will hear the wisdom of the ages
A book ready to be written
Filled with many unwritten pages
Learn from their innocence
Honestly brutal but real
For they haven’t yet been tarnished
telling you exactly how they feel
So simple yet so wise they speak
feelings never compromised
For whatever words they speak to you
You should not be surprised
Listen to the voice of a child
You can always feel their pain
They will always bring you sunshine
When the world is filled with rain
Their laughter is the music
That comes straight from the heart
So learn to sing their praises
Rejoice in every part
Never let that child within
Escape or get away
For every child is a part of us
Each and every day
Listen to the voice of a child
Hear each and every word
For every question asked of you
From sublime to the absurd
There are many lessons to be taught
And dreams to be realized
We learn from each other every day
Yet we always act surprised
If we listen a little bit closer
You will hear that inner child
A lifetime of knowledge
Mostly tame but occasionally wild
In a world that’s constantly changing
You can always find a choice
In the wisdom of our childhood
You will truly find your voice
poem by William Lindenmuth
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What Voice? ...
On this World Voice Day
It's a duty of us all
A pause for reflecting
Thanking the Creator
And all those who gave
And those who keep giving
Their voice for Love
For their wishes for Peace
And for the deepest Lament!
It's the voice of the Humanist
It's the voice of the Actor
It's the voice of the Poet
It's the voice of every Artist
It's the voice of the Scientist
The voice of the voiceless
And the voice of those able to voice it
Yet... they're deprived of doing so
And it doesn't reach us
As it would be fair, though!
April 16,2012
poem by Maria C. Costa
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Change The World
Imagine a place only your soul can vision
The heart of a child who looks, sees, and listens
Paints a picture using every color
And what she sees she sees it like no other
One word, a voice unheard
You can Change The World
With everything I know your made of
One word, a voice unheard
You can Change The World
If everyone would stop and listen
The art of innocence makes so much sense
Of a place there no wrong has well then it's wasted
Filtered through the eyes of a pure mind
A one of a kind, paradise for you and I, you and I
One word, a voice unheard
You can Change The World
With everything I know your made of
One word, a voice unheard
You can Change The World
If everyone would stop and listen
Break the cycle, find your rhythm
Share the gift that you've been given - Love
You can, You can Change The World
You can Change The World with love
One word, a voice unheard
You can Change The World
With everything I know your made of
One word, a voice unheard
You can Change The World
If everyone would stop and listen
One word, a voice unheard
You can Change The World
With everything I know your made of
One word, a voice unheard
You can Change The World
If everyone would stop and listen
song performed by by P.O.D.
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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The Next Voice You Hear
Gather your deeds and your possessions,
Whatever certainty youve known,
Forget your heroes,
You dont really need those lasting lessons.
Stand in the open;
The next voice you hear will be your own.
But, alright, they knew how they could hurt you,
And you let them cut you to the bone.
But God forbid,
You allow them to rid you of your virtue!
Forget their laughter;
The next voice you hear will be your own.
The next voice you hear...
The next voice you hear...
The next voice you hear...
The next voice you hear...
The next voice you hear...
The next voice you hear will be your own.
Throw down your truth and check your weapons.
Dont look to see if youre alone,
Just stand your ground,
And dont turn around -- whatever happens.
Dont ask directions;
The next voice you hear will be your own.
The next voice you hear...
The next voice you hear...
The next voice you hear...
The next voice you hear...
The next voice you hear...
The next voice you hear will be your own.
song performed by by Jackson Browne
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Healing Part I
Listen, listen
Listen to the voice,
The voice is an illusion
Listen to the voice,
Dont let the words confuse you
cause you need something to concentrate on,
Concentrate on me
You need something to meditate on,
Meditate on me
Listen, listen
Listen to your heart
Tune into the rhythm
Listen to your heart
Beating with precision
Like the waves upon the seaside,
It goes on and on
Like the spinning of the world,
It goes on and on
Listen, listen
Listen for the sound
That is not in the music
Only you can hear it,
Only you can use it
Its the sound of someone breathing,
Its the breath of life
Its the sound that you are weaving
With the thread of life
Listen, listen
Listen to the sound,
Let nothing disturb you
You are in a place
Where nothing can hurt you
If you feel a strange sensation,
It can do no harm
Like the spiral of creation,
It will soon move on
song performed by by Todd Rundgren
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Some People Listen Some People Don't
You judge me before my words can come out
You can’t even look my way
And you leave me with no doubt
You won’t listen to a word I say
And I will never be heard by you
No matter what it is that I do
Some people listen some people don’t
Some people listen some people won’t
You shut me up before I can speak
You shut me up so you can keep me weak
Now I breaking all your rules
That you have made just for me
To keep me away from my history
From my strength and my dignity
Some people listen some people don’t
Some people listen some people won’t
You don’t know how many times I have prayed
That you would hear the words that I have to say
Now get out of the way
Because we no longer have to stay in this prison of the mind
Because we find you guilty of the ultimate crime
Now get out of the way
So that they can hear what I have to say
And begin to make their plans for escape today
Even though you made me a thug,
It is out of love that I put my message out
Find your voice in school and follow the Golden Rule
And shout it out, with out a doubt
That you will be heard, until you are heard
Right down to the very last word
Some people listen some people don’t
Some people listen some people won’t
poem by Brian Kilpatrick
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One Clear Voice
The whole world is talking
Drowning out my voice
How can I hear myself
With all this noise
But all this confusion
Just disappears
When I find a quiet place
Where I can hear
(chorus)
One clear voice
Calling out for me to listen
One clear voice
Whispers words of wisdom
I close my eyes
till I find what Ive been missing
If Im very still, I will hear
One clear voice
Im always searching
For which path to take
Sometimes Im so afraid
To make mistakes
From somewhere inside me
Stronger than my fears
Just like the sound of music
To my ears, I hear
Chorus
song performed by by Peter Cetera
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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I Hear Your Voice
So many nights thought that I was doing fine
Thought that time had chased your picture from my mind
So many times thought my heart was finally strong
Now I find this heart of mine was so wrong
I thought Id finally learned to get on with my life
I hear your voice-(call)
Your voice (call)
Your voice (call)
The way it used to do
I feel my heart (fall)
I try to keep you off my mind
But every time I do, I hear your voice
So many days I thought that I could love again
But any fool in love would know thats all pretend
You always seem to find your way
Back in my dreams and I cant break free
Chorus
You know I tried so many times just to forget you
Ive tried to walk away from you
Oh girl, its just no use
I hear your voice (call)
Your voice (call)
Your voice (call)
Calling me.. calling me the way...
I feel my heart (fall)
I try to keep you off my mind
But every time I do,
I hear your voice
I hear your voice
I hear your voice
song performed by by Lionel Richie
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Healing Part Iii
Listen, listen
Listen to the cry
Of a world thats calling to you
Listen to the cry
Of the helpless souls that need you
Though you may have trepidation
You can not refuse
You will find your own salvation
In the path you choose
Listen, listen
Listen to the voice
That whispers in the silence
Listen as the voice
Solidifies your self reliance
Let the peace that youve discovered
Be a guiding light
Let the cry that youve uncovered
Set the world aright
You could not be closer to your maker
Never more or less alone
If you know thyself
Theres nothing else to know
You are whole
Listen, listen
Listen to the sound,
Let nothing disturb you
You are in a place
Where nothing can hurt you
If you feel a strange sensation,
It can do no harm
Like the spiral of creation,
It will soon move on
song performed by by Todd Rundgren
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Immorality
Have you heard, my friend, the slander that the Negro has to face?
Immorality, the grossest, has been charged up to his race.
Listen, listen to my story, as I now proceed to tell
Of conditions in the Southland, where the mass of Negroes dwell.
Ev'ry city, town or county, ev'ry state on Southern soil,
Has mulattoes in its borders, found among the sons of toil.
Can you tell from whence they landed; or to whither shall they go?
Is the Negro race responsible alone, I'd like to know?
When a man among the Negroes is the least suspected there
Of an intimate relation with a daughter that is fair,
Then an angry mob arises and he answers for the same
In a death, the worst in cruelty the company can name.
Though the noonday sun is shining at the time the lynching's done,
Still the officers of justice can't detect a single one,
Who partook in Negro killing, for the deed no one is blamed,
And inside the nation's senate comes a voice, 'We're not ashamed.'
Is the same true when a white man leads a Negro girl astray?
When he takes away her virtue, is the same true? tell me, pray,
Do the press and pulpit clamor or condemn the mighty wrong?
Is there sentiment against it? is the burden of my song.
When the case is thus presented, they are silent as the grave,
And the law at once is powerless a Negro's name to save,
So you see the same continues and the truth is like a flood,
That in veins of Southern Negroes flow the best of Southern blood.
Can you tell of these mulattoes, did they fall here from the sky?
How is this that they're among us? can you tell the reason why?
Who's to blame for their existence? is the Negro race alone?
If there are such freaks in nature it is time to make them known.
'Tis a custom born of slavery when master's law and might,
Was enforced upon the bondsman without question of the right,
And the parson preached on Sunday how the servant should obey
All the mandates of the master, let them be whate'er they may.
O, how sad the tales of bondage when persuasive measures failed,
How they tortured Negro women till their hellish plans prevailed!
Women faithful to their virtue were as martyrs sent to rest,
Others yielded to the tempter, weary, helpless and distressed.
So the spirit lives at present for the master hand to rule,
Cook or washer, nurse or housemaid passes through this training school,
Lo! the greatest of temptations, men and devils there invent,
And present them to the servants, on their ruin so intent.
There's no friend to whom the dusky maiden can appeal for aid,
To the mistress of the home to speak of such she is afraid,
In the law there's no protection that a Negro girl can claim,
None to rescue, none to pity, so she enters into shame.
Now reflect for just a moment, in the light of what you see,
Which is worse, to yield the tempter or the evil one to be?
Can you still believe that Negroes are immoral more than whites?
O, how different the picture if the Negro had his rights!
There's a God who rules in justice, one who feels his children's pain,
So we know that sin and darkness cannot always hope to reign,
All the ills to Negro women will the Father bring to light,
For the Judge, the only Judge of all creation will do right.
poem by Lizelia Augusta Jenkins Moorer
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Ron's Gone Wrong
Zach Galifianakis (voice), Jack Dylan Grazer (voice), Olivia Colman (voice), Ed Helms (voice), Justice Smith (voice), Rob Delaney (voice), Kylie Cantrall (voice), Ricardo Hurtado (voice), Marcus Scribner (voice), Thomas Barbusca (voice)
from Ron's Gone Wrong (2021)
Submitted by Veronica Serbanoiu
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The Truth Suppressed
Why do people sit in darkness as regards the Negro race?
Why so ignorant are nations of conditions in the case?
'Tis because the facts are strangled by a prejudice intense,
Truth is murdered in the forum when she cries in his defence.
If a white man braves the tempest and takes up the Negro's cause,
Thus exposing to the country the injustice of its laws,
He is met with ostracism and consigned to deep disgrace,
He is branded as a traitor to himself and to his race.
Did you know that Sledd of Oxford, his professorship resigned,
When he gave the press an outline of how Negroes are maligned,
When the world he gave the story of their wrongs on ev'ry hand,
And rebuked his brother white man for supporting such a stand?
Have you heard the tale of Bassett's being taken up and tried,
By the trustees of his college and the public too, beside?
He evoked the shaft of censure such as mad men would decree,
Just for writing good opinions of a Negro, don't you see?
We esteem the two professors being natives of the South,
Who would follow their convictions in the face of censure's mouth,
At a risk of their positions, prizing justice more than gold,
Such a sacrifice we'll cherish till the night away has rolled.
Manhood now is at a premium that such risky things will do,
When the life is so endangered from a social point of view,
'Tis a milestone of advancement when a Bassett or a Sledd
Rises higher than surroundings, up above the critic's dread.
If the North its grief expresses, as it views the ill so rife,
It is promptly called a meddler, an engenderer of strife,
Then the politicians clamor, while the press takes up the song,
And the people join the chorus in denouncing such a wrong.
We are proud of sympathizers in the great unequal fight,
In the struggle for true manhood and for triumph of the right,
'Tis exposure maims the evils as they viciously unfold,
So his sufferings, unvarnished, by the Negro must be told.
Truth has perished as a martyr, in her grave she's laid to rest,
Though she never fails of rising when the Father thinketh best,
Soon there'!l be a resurrection and conditions 'twill expose,
That will bring the Negro's manhood in the midst of wicked foes.
poem by Lizelia Augusta Jenkins Moorer
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Do Not Interrupt My Choice
I do have a choice,
And I make my own decisions.
Do NOT give me 'voice'.
When, in fact...
You're in a position to listen.
And...
If employed,
In a customer service position...
As a 'sales technician',
Like it or not...
Respect my choice.
Do not debate with me,
To stir up conflict...
With my decision.
When I'm given 'voice'...
And I know that voice to be,
Coming from one to indicate superior authority...
Over me!
As if what I decide for my life is not best.
Because I reveal I live on a budget...
And that is confessed how fixed it is.
Do NOT act as if,
I am not aware of it!
By treating me on the telephone,
Where I live is inferior.
And my mind is in a non-thinking zone!
I do have a choice,
And I make my own decisions.
Do NOT give me 'voice'.
When, in fact...
You are in a position to listen.
And...
Do not give me dial tone either.
Because my decision affects your commission.
I am not responsible for your economic condition.
Especially if I can barely satisfy my own!
Do not interrupt my choice,
By disconnecting your voice.
poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar
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Silence
I got a feeling
Everything's gonna be alright
And I still find my way
And I heard
It's always darkest before the storm
So come on let it rain
Everything was different when I was seventeen
The world was so much brighter
Now I finally found the truth
Of what they hid for me
That world was so much kinder
Silence
Don't hear a sound
But my own voice
Silence
Is what it is
By my own choice
I believe
That we were meant to learn from our mistakes
And stumble along the way
Now I know
That people are gonna grap what they can take
Then just turn away
Everybody's searching
But no one really knows the truth
The world is upside down
What it's all about right now
Will soon turn to gray
Their promises have faded
Silence
Silence
Silence
Don't hear a sound
But my own voice
Silence
Don't hear a sound
But my own voice
Silence
Is what it is
By my own choice
All my little merry friends
Have turned their backs on me
Excuse me if I'm jaded
I'm so tired of people telling me
How it should be
Their promises have faded
Silence
Silence
Silence
Don't hear a sound
But my own voice
Silence
Don't hear a sound
But my own voice
Silence
Is what it is
By my own choice
Silence
song performed by by Tiffany
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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A Voice In The Wilderness
My heart was so heavy with longing for you
My arms were so lonely, lonesome and blue
Alone in my sorrow, I heard a voice cry
A voice in the wilderness, a voice from the sky
Have faith in your darling, the voice seemed to say
Be true to her memory, shell come back one day
And though there was no-one, nobody to see
A voice in the wilderness brought comfort to me
We had a quarrel, I was unkind
Why did you leave me, love made me blind
Come back to me darling, I yearn for your touch
Have pity, come back now, I need you so much
Believe me and youll hear it, the voice from above
The voice in the wilderness, the voice of true love
Believe me and youll hear it, the voice from above
A voice in the wilderness, the voice of true love.
song performed by by Cliff Richard
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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A Voice From The Wilderness
There are times when we wander;
we are filled with anger, hate and despair.
Then we hear a voice from the wilderness,
beckoning us to come there.
A warming voice,
filled with love and compassion.
We follow on that way
and listen to the voice,
as it guides us on our way.
The voice then tells us,
there is a truth in everything we seek.
That if we follow the right path,
we will find it there.
All we have to do
is open our heart to everyone,
for the purest heart
cannot ever be put under.
Therefore, we carry on
to our destined future,
wherever that may be.
27 October 2007
poem by David Harris
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The Voice
Too soon a voice calls out to us
and we hear it sorrowfully.
The words we hear we have heard before.
They echo eternity.
The voice sings praises to our soul
and soothes our troubled mind.
And as we reckon with what's to come
we feel a voice so kind.
We cross the space from here to there
and leave mortality.
Even though our mind has been troubled
we'll miss the sky and sea.
For what we've experienced while on earth
no matter bad or good.
will leave with us as memories
that follow us as they should.
The voice we hear is so familiar
that we recognize at last
it's the voice from everyone we've been
that defines all of our past.
So when the voice calls out with love
cast aside all fear.
Remember your loves. Remember your life
and all that you held dear.
poem by Edwina Reizer
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Voice On My Tv
Its a familiar voice
Sometimes I wonder
If I have a choice
You give it everything
Youre selling god
But am I listening
I hear youve seen the light
Your message comes to me
By satellite
You say I must believe
I say its just another way
To deceive
If my salvation has anything to do
With your empty promises
And what you think is true
Well heres my donation
If its all the same to you
I am the voice on your tv
But I am one and I am free
Always to say what I believe
I know youre only
A voice on my tv
The numbers on the screen
Will help me get to heaven
So it would seem
The money flows and flows
And no-one cares enough
To know where it goes
Look at all the millions
That youve taken for a ride
With the warmest words
And the coldest heart inside
And how much longer
Can I listen to your lies
What are all the
Credit card believers gonna say
When they hear about the scandals
And the lovers that you pay
And all about the meetings
In your secret hideaway
I am the voice on your tv
But I am one and I am free
Always to say what I believe
Youre just a voice on my tv
Your powers strong but I am free
Always to say what I believe
I am the voice on your tv
But I am one and I am free
Always to say what I believe
Can you hear me
I am the voice on your tv
But I am one and I am free
Always to say what I believe
This is your conscience speaking
song performed by by Uriah Heep
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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