Celebrate (Written for Juneteenth celebration, Waterloo)

Celebrate because a celebration is taking place

And you don't need an excuse to swap laughs and handshakes

Eat hot dogs, chicken wings and cake

Celebrate because the park is green

And the sun's shining

Celebrate cause there's kids hollering

And babies crying.

Celebrate because the history books permeate the deep corners of our brains

Celebrate because while there's still so much hate, love remains.

Celebrate because that was us on the ships

And us in chains

Celebrate for Amistad and Roots and Bad Boyz and Friday

Celebrate for each of the 870 days

between Lincoln's pen and freedom

Celebrate because we recognize they cheated em.

Celebrate for abolitionists fighting for Emancipation

Celebrate because we remember, somewhere, the elation

Celebrate in memory of Martin, Malcolm and Marcus

Celebrate whether you're as white or as dark as us

Celebrate for a U.S. Government apology centuries later

Celebrate because it's never too late to stop being a hater.

Celebrate like you just heard from an unknown soldier

astride on a horse all in white

That all this time you thought you were blind in a tunnel

You were only waiting on light.