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The Roots teach a 'Schoolhouse Rock!'-style lesson on slavery

The Roots- I Am A Slave Black-ish

The season premiere of the TV show black-ish featured this Schoolhouse Rock!-inspired history lesson about the ending of slavery in America. That alone would be cool but they went the extra mile and created animated versions of The Roots to tell the story. It’s really well done and quite poignant.

Sing along… to the tune of “I’m just a bill” (lyrics cribbed from the YouTube comment’s section):

I am a slave

Yes, I’m only a slave

They’ll place my body in an unmarked grave

In these confederate days

It’s kinda hard to lift every voice singing

While worrying about how low the sweet chariots are swinging

I could swing from a tree, but hey

I hope and pray that they don’t kill me today

I am still just a slave

I am a slave in the home of the brave

A product of the triangular trade

Please pardon my ways

If I’m nervous or the slightest bit skittish

In the presence of the Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, or British

They kept me in colonial chains

Tell me how to persuade them to chill

Or to save me and still I’m a slave

Go ahead, jump into Juneteenth rabbit hole.

(Cool Mom Picks)

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