Adversity what does that word even mean

Does anyone know?

I think the last man to feel it

Was the first black man who walked in a university?

Where all races could be

And people would see

That black and white sat as one

They were all somebodie's sons

But their fathers disagreed

They still thought no black man should be free

As King and X fought for what they called we

Then the riders came

They came in peace

But their buses were burned

Their parents turned in fear

Then they were met by more beatings

There weren’t peacekeeping meetings

They went through hell

And all the racists thought well

NOW YOU KNOW

But it wasn’t for show

No

It was about more

It was about freedom

It was about the American dream

That their ancestors were forced to join

It wasn’t there choice to be here

But now they were

They felt the pain

That made so many of them go insane

As crack sales rose

The cops looked for a fire hose

To spray to tell them no

But they didn’t let up

They kept going

Crosses were burned on their porch

Bricks thrown through windows

Guns fired

But they kept going

More died

The wife’s cried

As their children didn’t understand

That there parents stood for two different brands of America

And as a man walked out on his porch

He was shot

He no longer had the dream

He was dead

But the wife he wed

And the children who were fed continued

A movement for peace

A movement for America and a dream

And then came the lights beam

They all saw freedom

They all saw life

They all saw safety for their children and their wife

And they fought harder

There was no time to barter, it was all or nothing

And then as Jim Crowe was shot and took his last breathe

And with it freedom was given

Then Russia fell

Sure, there is still hell

But well

It ain’t as bad

So you can sit there and talk about adversity you felt

But until you’re the first black man to have walked into a university

Or riders met by fighters

When you are peace, met by violence

And you don’t keep the silence

You won’t know anything about adversity

Because even Don McLean was able to sing

When the man’s wife lost their wedding ring

And now there was a smaller hell

And a black man was president

Now the gays fight

For their equal rights

And they can see it in their sights

But until you’re the one to walk through hell

And come out saying its swell

You won’t know adversity

Until you are gay and you’re not afraid to say you are

Until you don’t give a damn about what’s culturally par

No matter how far away you are

You fight

For the rights

Of all people

Because not everyone can

Some are stuck in the sand

Others can’t even join a band

But you and me can take a stand

And that’s what you need to do

To feel adversity

Unless of course you’re the first black man to walk into a university