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

Baltimore Fries
Raymond Nat Turner, BAR poet-in-residence
01 Jul 2015
🖨️ Print Article

by BAR poet in residence Nathaniel Turner

No fries for Ferguson, no burgers
For Baltimore—have it your way…

Baltimore Fries

by BAR poet in residence Nathaniel Turner

Had they just stood down, and forgot Mike Brown—
Ignored Freddie Gray and just civilly strolled away
Eschewing genocidal violence that crosses the line—
At least cut carnage of their thuggish protests’ to 9
Heading home awaiting the arresting officers’ knock
With no flash-bangs, no A-Rs— just holstered Glock
Peacefully entering black homes and arresting them,
Reading them their rights, bulletproof-vesting them
Under color of law and done fitting and done proper—
Then they, too, just might have dined on Whopper!

No corporate, confederate-FOX, psy-war lore,
No heroic blonde man-of-war, would-be-Boer,
No compassion, camaraderie, or esprit de corps—
No fries for Ferguson, no burgers for Baltimore!

It’s because rebellious Black youth acted like thugs
Wearing the wrong patches and wrong colored mugs
Why, the Commander even said so—make no mistake,
No Mickey D, no Burger King and no fries, no shake,
No Popeye, no Colonel Sanders, no Wendy’s, no Jack
For Black working-class kids out there fighting back!

No corporate, confederate-FOX, psy-war lore,
No heroic blonde man-of-war, would-be-Boer,
No compassion, camaraderie or esprit de corps—
No fries for Ferguson, no burgers for Baltimore!

                 

Understand why the copper
                 Felt it fitting and proper
                 Treating a B K Whopper                  To the pop-pop-popper?

Raymond Nat Turner © 2015 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


  • Terence Keel
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    The Coroner's Silence: Death Records and the Hidden Victims of Police Violence
    20 Feb 2026
    In his book, "The Coroner’s Silence: Death Records and the Hidden Victims of Police Violence," Dr. Terence Keel investigates how coroners and medical examiners omit key information about police…
  • Lebron James
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    Nothing But Great Things: LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Israel
    20 Feb 2026
    Margaret Kimberley was recently a guest on the Revolutionary Change podcast with co-hosts Jen Perelman and Peter Hager. In these excerpts of their conversation, they discussed the intersection…
  • Margaret Kimberley, BAR Executive Editor and Senior Columnist
    Marco Rubio Reveals the White Supremacy at the Heart of Western Foreign Policy
    18 Feb 2026
    Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in public what is usually unspoken but accepted around the world. Western foreign policy is controlled by the doctrine of white supremacy. 
  • Editors, The Black Agenda Review
    ESSAY: Resurrection City: The Dream…The Accomplishments, Jesse Jackson, 1968
    18 Feb 2026
    “The Poor People’s Campaign is the greatest single challenge ever unleashed upon our colonial system.”
  • Margaret Kimberley, BAR Executive Editor and Senior Columnist , ​​​​​​​ Ajamu Baraka, BAR editor and columnist
    Ajamu Baraka Remembers Rev. Jesse Jackson
    18 Feb 2026
    What is Jesse Jackson’s legacy? Ajamu Baraka, Black Agenda Report editor and columnist, provides his reflections.
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us