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

My Wise Country Cousin on Ferguson
Raymond Nat Turner, BAR poet-in-residence
10 Sep 2014
🖨️ Print Article

by BAR poet-in-residence Raymond Nat Turner

Ahm prowd ob Fightin’ Furgasun’s po, wurkin peeples, heroic youf Dey de wonz we can count on wen we’s fightin fo’ Justus, an’ Troof—

My Wise Country Cousin on Ferguson

by BAR poet-in-residence Raymond Nat Turner

Furgasun feel lak fresh air— a grate big festabul ob de masses
Now, de way folk unerstan it, depen on how dey see classes…
It’s lak de bus boycotts an freedum riots fo’ po’ folk lak me
But, de beginnin’ ob de en fo’ de blak booze-wah-zee…

 

Furgasun a revelooshunary skool teachin’ who/ how, ta fight:
Enamees ‘lef’, enamees rite, an’ enamees blak, enamees white—
Wen it pass a week, massas say, “Whoa, dis tang gittin’ messy!”
“We’s gon’ haf ta sen de Sharlaton boy, or at leese sen Jesse!”
But, ‘ol’ skool’ not enuf, dey mix ‘new skool’ in Massas’ Plan
Lak de ol’ witch: “a lil’ poison”——Blow, Lemon, an’ Van!
“Our niggas fly lak de witch’s monkees, roun’ de kid’s caskit
Speak disdane fo’ Fightin’ Furgasun: ‘millitunnz’ ta mask it!”

Me, ahm prowd ob Fightin’ Furgasun— speshally de heroic youf
Dey de onlee wonz ta count on fightin’ fo justus, ta tell de troof—
Dem fancy, remoat-cuntroled, Negroz ‘bout de bucks, an’libbin’ hi
“Follow de Eksampul ob Fightin’ Furgasun!” is our battulcry…

Raymond Nat Turner can be contacted at Raymond (at) upsurgejazz.com

Raymond Nat Turner © 2014 All Rights Reserved

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


More Stories


  • The Climate Crisis, Part 2
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    The Climate Crisis, Part 2
    08 Sep 2023
    Forrest Palmer is a native of Los Angeles, California who is now an electrical engineer residing in Houston, Texas
  • Excerpt from Women Rising Radio Program 45: Resisting US Military Bases and US Domination
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    Excerpt from Women Rising Radio Program 45: Resisting US Military Bases and US Domination
    08 Sep 2023
    Margaret Kimberley was among the guests on Women Rising Radio Program 45: Resisting US Military Bases and Domination
  • Congressman Jamaal Bowman and Black Misleadership
    Margaret Kimberley, BAR Executive Editor and Senior Columnist
    Congressman Jamaal Bowman and Black Misleadership
    06 Sep 2023
    The Black misleadership class are still up to their elbows in performative nonsense and class collaboration politics. They still act against the interests of Black people.
  • MANIFESTO: Double Jeopardy: To Be Black and Female, Frances Beal, 1969
    Editors, The Black Agenda Review
    MANIFESTO: Double Jeopardy: To Be Black and Female, Frances Beal, 1969
    06 Sep 2023
    Revisiting Frances Beal’s Black feminist theoretical tour-de-force.
  • Regionally Integrating the Horn of Africa and the Nile Basin
    Ann Garrison, BAR Contributing Editor
    Regionally Integrating the Horn of Africa and the Nile Basin
    06 Sep 2023
    ​​​​​​​BAR Contributing Editor Ann Garrison spoke with Amanuel Biedemariam, author of The History of the USA in Eritrea, about regional integration in the Horn of Africa and the Nile Basin among…
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us