Civil Rights Movement Poetry Archive -

Poems by J. Farley Ragland

SIT DOWN, CHILLUN!

Sit down, chillun — sit down;
In every Jim Crow state or town,
Bear your cross and wear your crown
Sit down, Chillun, sit down.
Walk right in and take your seat!
You pay the same for what you eat,
All the world applauds your feat,
Sit down, Chillun, sit down.
Though your face is black or brown,
Smile a smile, don't frown a frown,
Right is right the whole world roun'
Sit down, Chillun, sit down.
Keep on comin' with a quiet face,
Keep on workin' to hold your place Keep on strivin' to lift your race —
Sit down, Chillun, sit down.

[About the student sit-ins of 1960 that swept the South. Originally published in Lawrenceville VA Courier and Guide, February 17, 1960.]