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


  • Dr. Gerald Horne
    Juneteenth Book Signing & Lecture with Prof. Gerald Horne
    17 Jun 2026
    Prof. Gerald Horne’s book signing and lecture in Brooklyn, New York on June 19.
  • Gregory P. Downs
    The Hidden History of Juneteenth
    17 Jun 2026
    Most people think Juneteenth was simply when enslaved Texans learned they were free, but that is a myth. They knew the war ended but the fight for freedom did not end with one proclamation; it took…
  • Jessica Washington
    D.C. Mayor Candidates Are Fixating on Teen Hangouts — and Turning the Cops on Them
    17 Jun 2026
    D.C. mayoral candidate Kenyan McDuffie supports curfews targeting youth. His opponent Janeese Lewis George disagrees but Washington's colonial status and its lack of home rule make any debate…
  • Centre for Counter Hegemonic Studies
    Luis Britto García: I resist, therefore I am
    17 Jun 2026
    A Venezuelan writer asks hard questions about the state of the Venezuelan state.
  • BAR Radio Logo
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    Black Agenda Radio June 12, 2026
    12 Jun 2026
    In this week’s segment, we discuss the Delaney Hall immigration jail in New Jersey. Detainees have been on hunger strike in protest of inhumane conditions, and protests and arrests have taken place…
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us