Mattie Mae Stafford, "(Poem within) Colored Women's Economic Council of Los Angeles" (1928)
By Mattie Mae Stafford
Bravely, we bade farewell to the old
And entered the trend of the new;
Never to falter, faint or fail,
Upward and onward, steady and true.
Though at times the path be dim,
Hatred and malice pierce the soul,
We stand with not a shred of fear,
Facing the new, "warriors bold."
Peace on earth, good will toward men,
Should be a beacon light,
A welcome warmth in every heart,
Piercing the gloom like a ray in the night.
Shall we revive the "Golden Rule"
That long since has grown cold,
And let the cup of bitterness
Be relics of the old?
Published in The Messenger, March 1928