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

chief
Raymond Nat Turner, BAR poet-in-residence
02 Jan 2019
Watts Rebellion, Los Angeles 1965
Watts Rebellion, Los Angeles 1965

one of those sweltering
summer nights, City of
Angels, run by devils…
Cruising Imperial Highway
heading westbound to the water
when a newsflash interrupted
Atlantic, Stax, Motown blasting

Who was driving? I do not recall.
Anyway, we pulled off the road,
stopped the car. And, in language of
Testi-lying, alighted from the vehicle’s
passenger side making threatening motions—
Happy Dancing, screaming at the top of our
lungs— “…Nigras acting like a barrel of monkeys…”
Chief Parker died.

© 2018. Raymond Nat Turner, The Town Crier. All Rights Reserved.
Our poet in residence Raymond Nat Turner is an acclaimed poet and performing artist. Find much more of his work at http://upsurgejazz.com.

LAPD chief William Parker, 1905-1966

poetry
policing
Los Angeles

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


  • Build Back Better Legislation: New Keynesianism or Neoliberal Public Relations Stunt?
    ​​​​​​​ Ajamu Baraka, BAR editor and columnist
    Build Back Better Legislation: New Keynesianism or Neoliberal Public Relations Stunt?
    13 Oct 2021
    Some provisions of Biden’s “Build Back Better” legislation benefit the masses of Black people, but this legislation is a bare minimum effort to blunt some of the sharpest contradictions of the
  • Many would-be migrants, like the Garifuna, would love nothing more than to stay in their homes. It’s Washington that’s making it difficult.
    Miriam Miranda
    Afro-Indigenous People in Honduras Are Being Forcibly Displaced. Washington Is Complicit.
    13 Oct 2021
    Many would-be migrants, like the Garifuna, would love nothing more than to stay in their homes. It’s Washington that’s making it difficult.
  • STATEMENT: Black Caucus Protest at the African Studies Association, Montreal, October, 1969
    Editors, The Black Agenda Review
    STATEMENT: Black Caucus Protest at the African Studies Association, Montreal, October, 1969
    13 Oct 2021
    Black challenges to white control of African Studies at the 1969 African Studies Association meeting in Montreal exposed the deeply entrenched racism within, and the imperialist leanings of, th
  • U.S. Imperialism in Africa with Abayomi Azikiwe
    Danny Haiphong and Margaret Kimberley
    U.S. Imperialism in Africa with Abayomi Azikiwe
    13 Oct 2021
    Abayomi Azikiwe of Pan-African News Wire joined Danny Haiphong and Margaret Kimberley to discuss AFRICOM and U.S./NATO imperialist actions on the African continent.
  • San Francisco Court’s Racist Denial of the Constitutional Right to a Speedy Trial
    Ann Garrison, BAR Contributing Editor
    San Francisco Court’s Racist Denial of the Constitutional Right to a Speedy Trial
    13 Oct 2021
    San Francisco Public Defender Manohar Raju spoke to Ann Garrison about why his office is suing San Francisco Superior Court for denying hundreds of Black and Brown people the speedy trial right
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us