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- Like most of the women in the room on this day,
I come from a long line of women
made strong by adversity
and gracious by the grace they received.
They were tough, tender, resilient,
and passionate women
who made something out of nothing,
endured beyond endurance,
and urged their daughters toward opportunities
they were never offered.
They made us notice, gave us courage,
and taught us to laugh.
[slow gospel music]
♪ ♪
- ♪ They are faces in photographs, ♪
♪ heads all held high, ♪
♪ not afraid to look life in the eye. ♪
♪ They were women with backbone, ♪
♪ keepers of the flame, ♪
♪ with a spirit ♪
♪ even hard times couldn't tame. ♪
- ♪ And I know this same blood ♪
♪ is in me. ♪
♪ And I meet their gaze ♪
♪ one by one. ♪
♪ Eyes strong and clear. ♪
♪ I still feel them here. ♪
- ♪ These are the women I come from. ♪
- ♪ The faith that sustained them. ♪
- ♪ The faith that sustained them ♪
♪ is bred in my bones. ♪
♪ I know what I'm made of ♪
♪ and where I belong. ♪
- ♪ 'Cause these are the women I come from. ♪
- ♪ Ooh. ♪
♪ And what did life bring them? ♪
♪ What pain did they know? ♪
♪ What stories the pictures ♪
♪ didn't show? ♪
♪ They were lovers of babies ♪
♪ and lovers of God, ♪
♪ with lessons and laughter ♪
♪ in their song. ♪
- ♪ Did they dream better dreams ♪
♪ for their children, ♪
♪ as they prayed silent prayers ♪
♪ in the night? ♪
- ♪ Lord, make their way clear ♪
♪ and always be near. ♪
♪ These are the women I come from. ♪
- ♪ The faith that sustained them. ♪
- ♪ The faith that sustained them ♪
♪ is bred in my bones. ♪
- ♪ Oh, I know what I'm made of ♪
♪ and where I belong. ♪
- ♪ 'Cause these are the women I come from. ♪
♪ Ooh. ♪
♪ And now I have my own child beside me, ♪
♪ and we gaze at them all one by one. ♪
♪ Her eyes strong and clear. ♪
♪ Oh, I draw her near. ♪
♪ I say these are the women you come from. ♪
- ♪ The faith that sustained them. ♪
- ♪ The faith that sustained them ♪
♪ is bred in your bones. ♪
- ♪ Oh, you know what you're made of, ♪
♪ where you belong. ♪
- ♪ These are the women, ♪
♪ survivors each one. ♪
- ♪ They weren't always easy, ♪
♪ but they were loving, they were strong. ♪
♪ God's life force inside them ♪
♪ still going on. ♪
♪ These are the women we come from. ♪
- ♪ Wonderful women. ♪
♪ Beautiful women. ♪
- ♪ Women who prayed. ♪
- ♪ Oh, yes, we are. ♪
- ♪ With hearts full of faith. ♪
- ♪ These are the women. ♪
- ♪ The women you come from. ♪
- ♪ These are the women... ♪
- ♪ Sweet, Godly women. ♪
♪ Yes, we are. ♪
[cheers and applause]