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

For Fancy Miss Nancy
Raymond Nat Turner, BAR poet-in-residence
19 Dec 2018
🖨️ Print Article
Nancy Sue Wilson 1937-2018
Nancy Sue Wilson 1937-2018

Guess who I saw
today, black and white photo,
Marching, Montgomery from
Selma, ‘65?

Guess who I saw
at my high school swingin’ the
Trio; urging us to stay in school?

Guess who I,
was privileged to sequence
a later CD for, late one night?

…and you don’t know, you don’t know how
Glad I am that she
put the purr in whisper, with a sultry
Sound that could make subpoenas seem sensuous

…and you don’t know, you don’t know how
Glad I am that she
Appeared, sparkling, at the end of the
golden era—looking as good as she sounded—
Her face should grace
Buckeye State flags emblazoned
“There will never be another you…”

…and you don’t know, you don’t know how
Glad I am that she
Hovered earth— stunning hummingbird,
gorgeous humanitarian, giving the greatest
performance of her life, moments I loitered—
not seizing the time and asking, “When did
You leave heaven?”
Though, I think it was maybe ’37? I know she’s

Free Again…

© 2018. Raymond Nat Turner, The Town Crier. All Rights Reserved.

Raymond Nat Turner is an acclaimed poet and performing artist. You can find much more of his work at http://upsurgejazz.com.

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


More Stories


  • Anthony Karefa Rogers-Wright
    Sportswashing: How Capitalism Kills the Game for Poor and Working Class People While Normalizing How Imperialism Oppresses and Kills Them
    17 Jun 2026
    A single working mother could once take her child to a Yankees game for $40, but today that money would not even cover the online service fees. Sporting events have been stolen from poor and working…
  • Raymond Nat Turner, BAR poet-in-residence
    Booing Boss Tweet’s Cruel Reich Cult wherever they go
    17 Jun 2026
    "Booing Boss Tweet’s Cruel Reich Cult wherever they go" is the latest from BAR's Poet-in-Residence
  • 2026 Casa Ben Linder Bluefields Delegation
    Nicaragua and The Miseducation of the People of the United States
    17 Jun 2026
    Nicaragua is a living example of anti-imperialist resistance and people-centered development. The job of those in the U.S. is to fight the lies spread by the media and support this revolution through…
  • Hassan El Bial
    The Pentagon's Information War Comes Home
    17 Jun 2026
    The Pentagon is using censorship to control what Americans see as it carries out aggression around the world. However, censorship and war propaganda did not start with Trump or Hegseth.
  • Black Alliance For Peace
    World Cup 2026: FIFA and the U.S.’s White Supremacist Colonial Partnership is already on Full Display
    17 Jun 2026
    FIFA has shown itself to be a colonial instrument that serves white supremacy and U.S. imperialism. Referees, players, and fans from non-white nations are being harassed, denied entry, and brutalized…
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us