Black Agenda Report
Black Agenda Report
News, commentary and analysis from the black left.

  • Home
  • Africa
  • African America
  • Education
  • Environment
  • International
  • Media and Culture
  • Political Economy
  • Radio
  • US Politics
  • War and Empire
  • omnibus

Black Friday?
Raymond Nat Turner, BAR poet-in-residence
30 Nov 2017
Black Friday?
Black Friday?

Thought solemnity—
bowed heads, hands held,
streams of consciousness,
Blessings counted the day before:
Flowing water;
No rockets’ red glare; No
bombs
bursting
in
air
over
dead bird, cranberry,
pumpkin pie feasts was a prelude

Thought our ship came in,
Redressing ships making us
Sales
Thought it was about
Reparations—or 99%
demands on the way…

Thought it was about
Reparations—or at least—wild-eyed kinfolk
storming Wall Street, body-slamming,
beating down banksters and taking back
stolen Homes;
stampeding corporate headquarters,
snatching Single-Payer from
bloody hands of war profiteers;
wrenching Affordable Housing from
kleptocrats and lying politicians;
wrestling Boss Tweet to the
floor, pummeling he and torch
monkeys marauding the nation!

Next morning, glass cages
opened peculiar flashbacks:
Vaunted Negro buying-power on
fours—clawing for sweatshop shit…

Raymond Nat Turner © 2017 All Rights Reserved Raymond Nat Turner is an acclaimed poet and performing artist, You can find much more of his work at http://upsergejaz.com,

poetry

Do you need and appreciate Black Agenda Report articles. Please click on the DONATE icon, and help us out, if you can.


Related Stories

Reese Piece…
Raymond Nat Turner, BAR poet-in-residence
Reese Piece…
15 April 2021
Salute to City of Angels’ son! He wrote, he wrote, he wrote And he wrote… Ramparts, The Progressive, The
First 100 Daze: A ‘new’ dance craze
Raymond Nat Turner, BAR poet-in-residence
First 100 Daze: A ‘new’ dance craze
27 January 2021
Everybody’s wild ‘bout this ‘new’ dance craze— this lewd, crude dance called “The 1st 100 Daze…”
mashing the state— Kristallnacht-style
Raymond Nat Turner, BAR poet-in-residence
mashing the state— Kristallnacht-style
20 January 2021
Kristallnacht came casting lead ballots, overthrowing Black elected officials and Massacring those that VOTED for them— 
This is what hypocrisy looks like…
Raymond Nat Turner, BAR poet-in-residence
This is what hypocrisy looks like…
13 January 2021
“It's like writing history with lightning.“ — Woodrow Wilson on Birth of A Nation
Think…
Raymond Nat Turner, BAR poet-in-residence
Think…
06 January 2021
Think of peoples having the most tanks, the most drones, the most missiles, bombs, aircraft carriers, 
$election postmortem 
Raymond Nat Turner, BAR poet-in-residence
$election postmortem 
10 December 2020
It was the Latino Vote… No, it was the Latinix vote! No, it was Black Women! No, it was LGBTQ+ Black Women!
People Power (Or 30 min. men and women every 4 yrs?)
Raymond Nat Turner, BAR poet-in-residence
People Power (Or 30 min. men and women every 4 yrs?)
02 December 2020
The People earned a dancing in the streets day, horn honking, slogan shouting day—collective sigh/exhale
Endangering species… 
Raymond Nat Turner, BAR poet-in-residence
Endangering species… 
25 November 2020
Endangering species— First Negroz and wild Karens in power—members of the Strong- arm Williams-Thom-ass Clarence-led
My Wise Country Cousin on  Unca Jim Clyburn an de Sharp Rite Turn
Raymond Nat Turner, BAR poet-in-residence
My Wise Country Cousin on  Unca Jim Clyburn an de Sharp Rite Turn
11 November 2020
Son, it look lak Unca Jim say, “Las’ time I chek I’se de whip— an’ got no time fo’ young Negroz wit all dey Blak Life lip…”
Bankrolling blu klux klans? 
Raymond Nat Turner, BAR poet-in-residence
Bankrolling blu klux klans? 
28 October 2020
Rhythms of red, white, blue ‘party’ lights flashing beneath screaming sirens; The rush of warm crimson

More Stories


  • Covid Fueled by Neoliberal Austerity
    Margaret Kimberley, BAR Executive Editor and Senior Columnist
    Covid Fueled by Neoliberal Austerity
    05 Jan 2022
    The neo-liberal austerity model of governance ensures that Covid-19 will continue spreading and producing new variants. Only people focused public health remedies will end the pandemic.
  • Ukraine: What Does it Have to Do with Black Folks?
    ​​​​​​​ Ajamu Baraka, BAR editor and columnist
    Ukraine: What Does it Have to Do with Black Folks?
    05 Jan 2022
    “…it is imperative that everyone, in particular Black and working-class people, understand that not having an awareness of the interconnections of the “grind” (the struggle to survive in the U.
  • The Black Agenda Review of Books
    Editors, The Black Agenda Review
    The Black Agenda Review of Books
    05 Jan 2022
    An overview of recent Black books that can help us get through the year ahead.
  • Don't Look Up Reflects the Cynicism of Capitalist Decay, for Better and for Worse
    Danny Haiphong, BAR Contributing Editor
    Don't Look Up Reflects the Cynicism of Capitalist Decay, for Better and for Worse
    05 Jan 2022
    The controversial film offers insight into the crisis of the system but misses the mark in key areas.
  • Black Panthers, Sacramento CA 1967
    Raymond Nat Turner, BAR poet-in-residence
    Copaganda
    05 Jan 2022
    Copaganda I.
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us