"We demands a chance to do things for ourself/we're tired of beating our head against the wall/and workin' for someone else" - James Brown (I'm Black and I'm Proud, 1968)
1968, I was 6 years old, and I remember this song. I remember my parents, whites from the Ozarks, reacting to it... good people, but completely unable to appreciate James Brown's signing, or the lyrics to his song. (skip to bottom to play Brown's music video)
The hardest working man in show business had a lot in common with the hardest working people in the electronics reuse and repair business. I speak to people who are afraid to sell to these techs of color. They would be ashamed, they say, if the clients knew they were trading to Africa.
Color and shame?
Say it loud.
The trip to Africa is not like my trips to China in 2002 and 2005. This time, I already have the photos, I already have the records. This time I'm not going to "investigate", to be the great white savior. Been there, ashamed of that. This time I'm going to meet friends of my friends.
Uh, with your bad self
Say it louder (I got a mouth)
Say it louder (I got a mouth)
Look a'here, some people say we got a lot of malice
Some say it's a lotta nerve
I say we won't quit moving
Til we get what we deserve
We've been buked and we've been scourned
We've been treated bad, talked about
As just as sure as you're born
But just as sure as it take
Two eyes to make a pair, huh
Brother, we can't quit until we get our share
Say it loud,
I'm black and I'm proud
Say it loud,
I'm black and I'm proud, one more time
Say it loud,
I'm black and I'm proud, huh
I've worked on jobs with my feet and my hands
But all the work I did was for the other man
And now we demands a chance
To do things for ourselves
we tired of beating our heads against the wall
And working for someone else
Say it loud,
I'm black and I'm proud
Say it loud,
I'm black and I'm proud
Say it loud,
I'm black and I'm proud
Say it loud,
I'm black and I'm proud, oowee
Ooowee, ou're killing me
Alright uh, you're out of sight
Alright, so tough, you're tough enough
Ooowee uh, you're killing me, oow
Say it loud,
I'm black and I'm proud
Say it louder,
I'm black and I'm proud
Now we demand a chance to do things for ourselves
We tired of beating our heads against the wall
And working for someone else
A look a'here,
One thing more I got to say right here
Now, we're people like the birds and the bees
We rather die on our feet,
Than keep living on our knees
Say it loud,
I'm black and I'm proud, hu
Say it loud,
I'm black and I'm proud, hu
Say it loud,
I'm black and I'm proud, Lord'a Lord'a Lord'a
Say it loud,
I'm black and I'm proud, ooooh
Uh, alright now, good Lord
You know we can do the boog-a-loo
Now we can say we do the Funky Broadway!
Now we can do, hu
Sometimes we dance, we sing and we talk
You know I do like to do the camel walk
Alright now, hu alright,
Alright now, ha
Say it loud,
I'm black and I'm proud
Say it louder,
I'm black and I'm proud, let me hear ya
Say it louder,
I'm black and I'm proud
Say it louder,
I'm black and I'm proud
Now we's demands a chance to do things for ourselves
We're tired of beating our heads against the wall
And working for someone else, hu
Now we're our people, too
We're like the birds and the bees,
But we'd rather die on our feet,
Than keep a'living on our knees
Say it louder,
I'm black and I'm proud
Say it louder,
I'm black and I'm proud, let me hear ha', huh
Say it loud,
I'm black and I'm proud, hu
Say it louder,
I'm black and I'm proud
Say it louder,
I'm black and I'm proud
Oooow, oowee, you're killing me, alright
Uh, outa sight, alright you're outa sight
Ooowee, oh Lord,
Ooowee, you're killing me
Ooowee, ooowee, ooowee, ooowee, ow
Say it loud,
I'm black and I'm proud, hu
Say it louder,
I'm black and I'm proud , Lord I feel it
Say it loud,
I'm black and I'm proud
Say it louder,
I'm black and I'm proud
1968, I was 6 years old, and I remember this song. I remember my parents, whites from the Ozarks, reacting to it... good people, but completely unable to appreciate James Brown's signing, or the lyrics to his song. (skip to bottom to play Brown's music video)
And now we demands a chance To do things for ourselves we tired of beating our heads against the wall And working for someone elseHow can people be anything but proud to do business with these technicians of color in Ghana? How low can we possibly stoop to defend the prison sentence of Joseph Benson for selling gently used electronics goods to these smart people in these markets?
The hardest working man in show business had a lot in common with the hardest working people in the electronics reuse and repair business. I speak to people who are afraid to sell to these techs of color. They would be ashamed, they say, if the clients knew they were trading to Africa.
Color and shame?
Say it loud.
The trip to Africa is not like my trips to China in 2002 and 2005. This time, I already have the photos, I already have the records. This time I'm not going to "investigate", to be the great white savior. Been there, ashamed of that. This time I'm going to meet friends of my friends.
Uh, with your bad self
Say it louder (I got a mouth)
Say it louder (I got a mouth)
Look a'here, some people say we got a lot of malice
Some say it's a lotta nerve
I say we won't quit moving
Til we get what we deserve
We've been buked and we've been scourned
We've been treated bad, talked about
As just as sure as you're born
But just as sure as it take
Two eyes to make a pair, huh
Brother, we can't quit until we get our share
Say it loud,
I'm black and I'm proud
Say it loud,
I'm black and I'm proud, one more time
Say it loud,
I'm black and I'm proud, huh
I've worked on jobs with my feet and my hands
But all the work I did was for the other man
And now we demands a chance
To do things for ourselves
we tired of beating our heads against the wall
And working for someone else
Say it loud,
I'm black and I'm proud
Say it loud,
I'm black and I'm proud
Say it loud,
I'm black and I'm proud
Say it loud,
I'm black and I'm proud, oowee
Ooowee, ou're killing me
Alright uh, you're out of sight
Alright, so tough, you're tough enough
Ooowee uh, you're killing me, oow
Say it loud,
I'm black and I'm proud
Say it louder,
I'm black and I'm proud
Now we demand a chance to do things for ourselves
We tired of beating our heads against the wall
And working for someone else
A look a'here,
One thing more I got to say right here
Now, we're people like the birds and the bees
We rather die on our feet,
Than keep living on our knees
Say it loud,
I'm black and I'm proud, hu
Say it loud,
I'm black and I'm proud, hu
Say it loud,
I'm black and I'm proud, Lord'a Lord'a Lord'a
Say it loud,
I'm black and I'm proud, ooooh
Uh, alright now, good Lord
You know we can do the boog-a-loo
Now we can say we do the Funky Broadway!
Now we can do, hu
Sometimes we dance, we sing and we talk
You know I do like to do the camel walk
Alright now, hu alright,
Alright now, ha
Say it loud,
I'm black and I'm proud
Say it louder,
I'm black and I'm proud, let me hear ya
Say it louder,
I'm black and I'm proud
Say it louder,
I'm black and I'm proud
Now we's demands a chance to do things for ourselves
We're tired of beating our heads against the wall
And working for someone else, hu
Now we're our people, too
We're like the birds and the bees,
But we'd rather die on our feet,
Than keep a'living on our knees
Say it louder,
I'm black and I'm proud
Say it louder,
I'm black and I'm proud, let me hear ha', huh
Say it loud,
I'm black and I'm proud, hu
Say it louder,
I'm black and I'm proud
Say it louder,
I'm black and I'm proud
Oooow, oowee, you're killing me, alright
Uh, outa sight, alright you're outa sight
Ooowee, oh Lord,
Ooowee, you're killing me
Ooowee, ooowee, ooowee, ooowee, ow
Say it loud,
I'm black and I'm proud, hu
Say it louder,
I'm black and I'm proud , Lord I feel it
Say it loud,
I'm black and I'm proud
Say it louder,
I'm black and I'm proud
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