Kid Pan Alley: Music

• MP3 play whole song, hi-fi (broadband)
• MP3 play whole song, lo-fi (modem)

This was an intergenerational residency in which senior citizens came in and told the children about growing up in the area 70 years ago. On this day, 3 black women from the community came in and told the 2nd graders about life under segregation and having to walk to school even though the bus went right by their house.

The children had been totally unaware of segregation and thought it was so extremely unfair and disrespectful. Then one of the women said, "You know, there is still segregation here." Hence the title, "So It Seems."

When I was a little girl
Only travelin’ as far as my feet would take me
In my dreams and on the silver screen
I saw places I’d never go
Places that always said no
But that was life time ago
Or so it seems

I used to have to walk to school
Even though the bus drove right on by
Two miles through snow, wind rain and sun
Just because of the color of my skin

When I was a little girl
Only travelin’ as far as my feet would take me
In my dreams and on the silver screen
I saw places I’d never go
Places that always said no
But that was life time ago
Or so it seems

I used to have to make my clothes
Out of an old bleached white flower sack
We barely had a penny
So we had to make everything we owned

When I was a little girl
Only travelin’ as far as my feet would take me
In my dreams and on the silver screen
I saw places I’d never go
Places that always said no
But that was life time ago
Or so it seems

Or so it seems