To be young, gifted, and black
Oh what a lovely precious dream
To be young, gifted, and black
Open your heart to what I mean, to what I mean

Cause you know
In the whole wide world
There's a million, a million boys and girls
Who are young, gifted, gifted, and black... and it's sho'nuff where it's at

To be young, gifted, and black
We must begin to tell our young
That there's a whole world, a whole world waiting for you

Haven't you heard the quest has just begun

Don't you know the joy, the joy, the joy of the today
Is the day that we all... that we all be proud to say
That we are young... , gifted... , gifted and black... and it's sho'nuff where it's at