A gift from a stranger
“For the People I Rise”
A songwriter passing through North Miami Beach stopped to talk with Phyllis for a few minutes on a Saturday morning. By the next night she had written this and sent it to the family.
Listen
For the People I Rise
Written and performed by Jacquie Belle, Atlanta, Georgia
Running time: 5:35
How this came to be
Jacquie Belle drives long haul. That week her route ran from Chicago to Miami, and she was on her way back home to Atlanta when she stopped in North Miami Beach, a city she had never been to before.
It was a Saturday morning. Outside a bakery she came across a group of candidates greeting people, and she stopped to talk to one of them. Phyllis reminded her of her own mother, who had passed away, so she stayed a while and asked her questions. They talked for a few minutes. Then she got back on the road.
The song arrived the following night.
She spent a few minutes with a stranger, and this is what she made of it.
Words
We have asked Ms. Belle for the words so that anyone who is deaf or hard of hearing can read along. They will be published here as soon as we have them from her.
About this recording
Ms. Belle lives in Atlanta and is not a voter in North Miami Beach. She was not asked for anything, was not paid, and is not connected to this campaign. She wrote this on her own and gave it to the family. It is a gift of her own work, not an endorsement in this or any election.
The words are hers, including how she refers to Phyllis in them. Phyllis serves as North Miami Beach City Commissioner for Group 6.
Published here with Ms. Belle's permission. The song remains her work and her copyright.