THE STORY BEHIND THE POEM
On August 28, 1963, I was eight years old.
Across the country, thousands marched in Washington demanding jobs, freedom, and equality. I watched, I listened, and I grew up in the America to which those words were spoken.
Now, at seventy, I look back across six decades of change, struggle, progress, and setbacks—and ask: How far have we really come?
This spoken-word piece is my reflection on that journey—and the dream that continues to call us forward.
DEMOCRACY UNMASKED
Presents
16th Street Baptist Church Bombing
A Ceremonial Remembrance
September 15th. Birmingham, Alabama.
A Sunday morning of polished shoes, Sunday dresses, church hymns, and prayer.
Inside the 16th Street Baptist Church, four little girls were preparing for a day that should have ended with them going home. It didn’t.
At 10:22 that morning, a bomb ripped through the church. Four children. Four futures. Gone.
Just eighteen days earlier, America had gathered at the Lincoln Memorial to hear a dream
Now Birmingham awakened to a nightmare. More than sixty years later, America must still speak their names.
September 15th. Join us and listen.
Original Poem. Original Voice.
About Nimmond Lockhart
I’m a writer, poet, publisher, U.S. Air Force veteran, and founder of Democracy UnMasked.
Raised in South Florida during the Civil Rights era, I witnessed a changing America from the perspective of a Black child growing up amid segregation and integration. Those experiences continue to shape my writing and storytelling today.
As a former community newspaper owner and publisher, I’ve spent much of my life using words to inform, challenge, and give voice to stories too often left between the pages of history.
Now, through Democracy UnMasked, I’ve combined original poetry, spoken word, history, and multimedia storytelling to encourage audiences—especially younger generations—to look beyond what they were taught and discover the stories that helped shape America.
My purpose is simple:
Educate. Empower. Unite.
Historical Inspiration
The piece draws from historical records, firsthand accounts, and archival sources related to the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom and the Civil Rights Movement.
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