HISTORY
One More Tree (Wangari Maathai)
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One more tree, Wangari, one more tree,
One more tree, Wangari, one more tree,
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Wangari Maathai,
Looked up to the sky,
Breathed the atmosphere,
Exhaled out a tear,
Water to the earth,
Nurturing the birth,
Of a tree planted here,
Giving was her cry,
Watering the dry,
Light the life, Wangari.
One more tree, One more tree,
Wangari’s legacy!
One more tree comes to be,
Growing life, tree by tree.
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One more tree, Wangari, one more tree,
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Wangari was a woman born in Kenya,
a country in the eastern part of Africa.
She was raised up in a village,
where boys had the advantage.
Nevertheless, that girl could study,
earned scholarships to university,
in Germany and the U.S. of A.
With hundreds of women on their knees,
They planted 30 million trees,
Breathe the Green Movement today.
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One more tree, boys and girls, one more tree,
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Wangari Maathai,
Saw the Nobel Prize,
For Peace in her hands,
Someone understands,
The work and it’s worth,
To our planet earth,
And the life that lives here,
May we use our force,
Cultivate the source,
Make a difference that’s clear.
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One more tree, One more tree,
Wangari’s legacy!
One more tree comes to be,
Growing life, tree by tree.
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One more tree, Wangari, one more tree.
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VOTP (Voice of the People)
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Martin Luther King was a voice of the people,
A voice of the people,
A voice of the people,
Martin Luther King was a voice of the people,
He helped people get their rights! Repeat with the following
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Sojourner Truth
George Washington Carver
Ida B. Wells,
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Malcolm X was a voice of the people,
Harriet Tubman was a voice of the people,
Shirley Chisholm was a voice of the people,
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Barack Obama is a voice of the people,
A voice of the people,
A voice of the people,
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I am a voice of the people,
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We are living Martin Luther King’s dream,
We are living Martin Luther Kings’ dream,
We are living Martin Luther King’s dream,
We are living Martin Luther King’s….
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DREAM!
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Harlem Renaissance
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We are the artists of the Harlem Renaissance.
We are the artists of the Harlem Renaissance.
We are the artists of the Harlem Renaissance.
Welcome to the 1920s.
My name is Louis of the Harlem Renaissance.
I was a musician of the Harlem Renaissance.
Louis Armstrong, ba-ba-ba-ba-ba.
I am one of many artists of those days.
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My name is Ella of the Harlem Renaissance.
I was a singer of the Harlem Renaissance.
Ella Fitzgerald, scoobie doo-bop-bop-bop-bop.
I am one of many artists of those days.
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We are the artists of the Harlem Renaissance.
We are the artists of the Harlem Renaissance.
We are the artists of the Harlem Renaissance.
Welcome to the 1920s.
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My name is Langston of the Harlem Renaissance.
I was a poet of the Harlem Renaissance.
Langston Hughes, “It was a long time ago.”
I am one of many artists of those days.
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My name is Josephine of the Harlem Renaissance.
I was a dancer of the Harlem Renaissance.
Josephine Baker, wa-wa-wa-wa-wa!
I am one of many artists of those days.
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We are the artists of the Harlem Renaissance.
We are the artists of the Harlem Renaissance.
We are the artists of the Harlem Renaissance.
Welcome to the 1920s.
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My name is Bill of the Harlem Renaissance.
I was a dancer of the Harlem Renaissance.
Bill Bojangles Robinson, tap-tap-tap-tap.
I am one of many artists of those days.
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My name is Paul of the Harlem Renaissance.
I was an actor of the Harlem Renaissance.
Paul Robeson, “OH DESDEMONA!”
I am one of many artists of these days.
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We are the artists of the Harlem Renaissance.
We are the artists of the Harlem Renaissance.
We are the artists of the Harlem Renaissance.
Welcome to the 1920s.
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We are the artists of the Harlem Renaissance. (3X)
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Yes, we are the artists of Harlem, New York City.
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HARLEM RENAISSANCE!
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“My Last Farewell” featuring the first stanza of “Mi último adios” by José Rizal”
Farewell, my adored Land, region of the sun caress'd,
Pearl of the Orient Sea, our Eden lost,
With gladness I give thee my Life, sad and repress'd;
And were it more brilliant, more fresh and at its best,
I would still give it to thee for thine welfare at most.
This is the final farewell,
Of a hero named José Rizal,
Novelist, artist, naturalist,
Teacher, ophthalmologist as well,
Whose light was eclipsed by imperialists,
José Rizal.
Pinipintuho kong Bayan ay paalam,
Lupang iniirog ng sikat ng araw,
mutyang mahalaga sa dagat Silangan,
kaluwalhatiang sa ami'y pumanaw.
This is the final farewell,
Of a hero named José Rizal,
Revolutionary of the late Nineteenth Century,
From Calamba, Laguna,
Whose light still shines bright at the heart of a country,
José Rizal, José Rizal, Doctor José Rizal.
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Dickens
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When Dickens was a lad,
His nursemaid told him stories,
So terrifying they would curl your toes,
‘T was what was common in London back then,
When Dickens was a lad.
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When Dickens was a boy,
His father was a Clerk,
Charles would visit him at work,
At the Royal British Navy Shipyard,
When Dickens was a boy.
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When Dickens was a boy,
He’d stand upon a stool,
To sing and tell jokes to the room,
They say the kid was a real entertainer,
When Dickens was a boy.
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There was no Radio or TV,
Not even electricity,
No Nintendo, toilet bowl, or telephone,
There were gardens to explore,
And books to imagine more,
The Royal Theater, a special treat for sure.
When Dickens was just ten,
His family fell on hard times,
And could no longer afford the rent,
Charles had to leave school to work in a factory,
When Dickens was just ten.
When Dickens was a boy,
His family was imprisoned,
Because his daddy couldn’t pay their debts,
‘T was what was common in London back then,
When Dickens was a boy.
While he was working 10 hours a day,
His great grandmother passed away,
The inheritance helped the family to its feet.
When they were finally released,
Charles opportunities increased,
Soon his stories would be quite famous on the Street.
Charles became a superstar,
In England and even afar,
When he arrived in the States,
His fans flooded the gates,
Like The Beatles, Diana, or One Direction,
When Dickens was a man,
He crafted many stories,
That caused society to take a pause,
And be more empathetic back then,
When Dickens was a man.
“Citizen of the Universe"
Ruth Asawa:
"I hold no hostilities for what happened; I blame no one.
Sometimes good comes through adversity.
I would not be who I am today had it not been for the Internment, and I like who I am."
My name is Ruth Asawa,
I was born in California,
And my parents were born in Japan.
I am female, yes.
And I am Japanese-American,
But first I am an artist in the world,
My name is Ruth Asawa,
Citizen of the Universe.
Ensemble: Her family leased a farm in Norwalk,
Outside of L.A.,
Ruth came along in 1926,
January 24th was her birthday,
The fourth of seven children,
They all would lend a hand,
Growing fruits and vegetables,
On someone else’s land.
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Ruth: My Name is Ruth Asawa.
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Ensemble: Her name is Ruth Asawa,
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Ruth/Ensemble: Citizen of the Universe.
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Haiku: We break the thawed earth,
And lay the seeds in their beds,
Working to make life.
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Ensemble: When Ruth was in the third grade,
Her artwork was displayed,
Her teacher Mrs. Morrison,
Praised the drawings she made.
She even won a contest,
With a picture of Miss Liberty,
Saturdays she went to Japanese school,
Studying language and calligraphy.
Ruth: My Name is Ruth Asawa.
Ensemble: Her name is Ruth Asawa,
Ruth/Ensemble: Citizen of the Universe.
Haiku: Her arm reaches up,
To heavens from the nation,
Through the air we share.
Ensemble: Japan bombed Pearl Harbor,
In 1941,
USA involvement,
In WWII was begun,
People who were Japanese,
Were taken by the FBI,
Her daddy was sent to New Mexico,
They didn’t even have a chance to say “good-bye.”
Ruth: My Name is Ruth Asawa.
Ensemble: Her name is Ruth Asawa,
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Ruth/Ensemble: Citizen of the Universe.
Haiku: They fell from the sky,
And changed our world just like that,
Why must it be bombs?
Ensemble: 120,000 were taken,
to the Santa Anita Racetrack,
They slept in the stables,
On a bedspread of haystack,
For six months they were held there,
Without any question of law,
Ruth met other prisoners,
Artists who helped improve her skill to draw.
Ruth: My Name is Ruth Asawa.
Ensemble: Her name is Ruth Asawa,
Ruth/Ensemble: Citizen of the Universe.
Haiku: Freedom state of mind,
Our imagination is,
A real salvation.
Ensemble: They were moved to Arkansas,
Where they spent the next few years,
Ruth made art whenever she could,
Smiling when there could’ve been tears.
She edited the paper,
For the high school in intern camp,
When Ruth earned a scholarship,
She felt just like a champ.
My name is Ruth Asawa,
Ensemble: Her name is Ruth Asawa,
Ruth: I was born in California,
Ensemble: She was born in California,
Ruth: And my parents were born in Japan.
I am female, yes.
And I am Japanese-American,
But first I am an artist in the world,
My name is Ruth Asawa,
Ensemble: Her name is Ruth Asawa,
Ruth/Ensemble: Citizen of the Universe.
The First Emperor
Qin Shi Huangdi was the first emperor of China.
He lived nearly 23 centuries ago.
What was happening before?
7 kingdoms were at war.
When Qin Shi Huangdi was thirteen,
His father died and made him king.
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Qin Shi Huangdi was the first emperor of China.
He lived nearly 23 centuries ago.
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One by one the kingdoms fell,
His army grew more powerful,
In one kingdom there was a quake
That left it weak for Qin to take.
Qin Shi Huangdi was the first emperor of China.
He lived nearly 23 centuries ago.
Under the unification,
No one got an education.
Reading was against the rules,
So were books and having schools.
Qin Shi Huangdi was the first emperor of China.
He lived nearly 23 centuries ago.
Though he ruled by brutal force,
Qin Shi Huangdi set the course,
For using common currency,
And standard ways of measuring.
Qin Shi Huangdi was the first emperor of China.
He lived nearly 23 centuries ago.
During the first emperor’s days,
Canals were built and new highways,
The first Great Wall of China too,
Evidence of what was true.
Qin Shi Huangdi was the first emperor of China.
He lived nearly 23 centuries ago.
In nineteen seventy four,
Farmers digging found a door
Into ancient history
With a great discovery.
Qin Shi Huangdi was the first emperor of China.
He lived nearly 23 centuries ago.
In a tomb under the ground,
A Terracotta army found,
Life-sized soldiers, horses too,
Made of clay for you know who?
Qin Shi Huangdi, Qin Shi Huangdi, Qin Shi Huangdi.
Books into Wings
10 – 9 -8 – 7 – 6 – 5 – 4 – 3 - 2 – 1 – BLAST OFF!
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Chorus: Bessie was a flier,
Ronnie too,
Mae was a flier,
How about you?
They studied Science, Math,
And many other things,
Picked up some books
And turned them into wings.
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Bessie Coleman was born in Texas.
She went to France to learn to fly.
Before falling to her death in 1926,
She starred in airshows across the sky.
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Chorus: Bessie was a …
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Ron McNair was born in South Carolina,
Played saxophone and went to M. I. T.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
When the Challenger exploded in ’86,
The astronaut’s life ended in tragedy.
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Chorus: Bessie was a … repeat last line twice
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Mae Jemison was born in Alabama,
Grew up in Chicago, went to Stanford U.
She worked as a doctor in West Africa.
NASA launched her shuttle in ’92.
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Chorus: Bessie was a … repeat last line twice
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Education Can Happen Anywhere
Abe was born to farmers in Kentucky.
His mama died when he was just a boy.
His family couldn’t prove their claim to any land
And they ended up in Illinois.
Abraham’s daddy soon remarried.
His step mama loved him like a son.
At the age of age of 22, he hopped in a canoe
And a whole new life had begun.
Abe moved so often as a child,
That he rarely had a chance to go to school,
But he taught himself to read and write real well,
And followed his own strict rule.
It just goes to show you,
Education can happen anywhere,
Whether you’re at home, or in school, or on your own,
Education can happen anywhere.
Abe worked on the Mississippi,
Delivered goods, explored the nation,
He got involved in politics,
To help improve navigation.
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Abraham loved the animals,
So hunting was never his thing,
He was known for the swing of his ax,
And his skill at wrestling.
Abe became a famous lawyer,
A senator, and then a president,
He led the country away from slavery,
Through a war into a union tent.
It just goes to show you,
Education can happen anywhere,
Whether you’re at home, or in school, or on a river,
Education can happen anywhere,
Education can happen anywhere,
Education can happen anywhere!
Outside Independence
ENSEMBLE: The women, the laborers,
The indigenous people driven from their lands,
The children, the prisoners,
The slaves who built industries with their hands,
Inside they held a debate,
To fashion a new nation state,
Some of us would have to wait,
For agency to shape our fate,
The wife and the mother,
The poor migrant worker at harvest time,
The homeless in stormy weather,
The person imprisoned without a crime,
The men who met in the hall,
Forcefully sounded a call,
For freedom and justice for all,
Designing a new kind of law.
There’s a whole soul under these skins upon these bones,
There’s a whole mind inside the shells of our skulls,
There’s a whole song with some minor tones,
There’s a whole life with dreams and goals.
Now we can foresee our futures,
The people of ages will power change,
Inspired sons and daughters,
Expanding the reaches of freedom’s range.
Poem by Jorge Argueta
Music by P. Sroka
Mi barrio/My Neighborhood
En mi barrio, San Jacinto,
hay un perro que puede silbar,
una gata que puede bailar,
un gallo que se mira en el espejo
y en vez de cantar,
come paletas de coco
de las que vende
don Silverio
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In my neighborhood, San Jacinto,
there’s a dog that can whistle,
a cat that can dance,
a rooster that looks in the mirror,
and, instead of crowing,
eats coconut popsicles,
sold by Mr. Silverio
