January 14, 2016 would have been the 76th birthday of Julian Bond who was born in 1940.
On January 14, 2016, I had the honor of participating in a “Celebration of Life Convocation” for Julian Bond.
http://www.philly.com/philly/education/20160115_Julian_Bond_remembered_at_Lincoln_U.html
http://www.dailylocal.com/general-news/20160117/lincoln-honors-a-good-son-julian-bond
It was held at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania where Julian Bond spent some of his formative years because his father, Horace Mann Bond was the first African American President of Lincoln University.
One of the poems I shared in tribute to Julian Bond during the January 14th Convocation was:
The Cycle of Life
The cycle of life is the same for us all
Each of us must answer when God calls
We live and we die.
This is a certainty
The only question is what will be our legacy?
The legacy of Julian Bond brought us here today
His life had something very important to say
He lived a life of purpose, a mission fulfilled
He deserves “peace – be – still”
From a co-founder of SNCC to a family man
Mr. Bond embraced a life with many demands
As a leader in the fight for freedom and Civil Rights
Julian Bond led a remarkable life
A Georgia state legislator, a TV commentator
A writer, a great debater
This man of Morehouse College pedigree
This honorary son of Lincoln University
Chairman of the NAACP
Southern Poverty Law Center President
His was a life well-spent
With his sharp mind and his big heart
With love for his people, he did his part
What he did and what he had to say
Showed America a better way
His voice kept our “Eyes on the Prize”
His work inspired his people to rise
In case you didn’t know it, Julian Bond was also a poet
Now he’s in the place of life after death
He has inhaled and exhaled his very last breath
Mr. Bond lived at the pleasure of God’s desire
He answered the call to take him higher
So, cry a little and hold him in your heart
If you keep him there, you will never be apart
And the next time you see the morning sunrise
Remember to keep your “Eyes on the Prize”
Because the cycle of life is the same for us all
Each of us must answer when God calls
CeLillianne Green Copyright © 2016