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


  • Black Worker Centers: Building Workplace Power in the Communities
    Matthew Cunnington-Cook
    Black Worker Centers: Building Workplace Power in the Communities
    21 Apr 2021
    As organized labor deals with the defeat at Amazon in Alabama, another type of base-building power beckons.
  • Bessemer Amazon Union Drive: An Interview with the Lead Organizer
    Luis Feliz Leon and Joshua Brewer
    Bessemer Amazon Union Drive: An Interview with the Lead Organizer
    21 Apr 2021
    “We feel like we got a heck of a start, and we’re proud of it, and we’re proud of the workers that are willing to continue that fight.”
  • The Union Battle at Amazon Is Far from Over
    Alec MacGillis
    The Union Battle at Amazon Is Far from Over
    21 Apr 2021
    Amazon is increasingly defining what entry-level labor now looks like in America.
  •  Black Agenda Radio for Week of April 19, 2021
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley and Glen Ford
    Black Agenda Radio for Week of April 19, 2021
    20 Apr 2021
    Blacks and the US: a History of Resistance
  •  Criminal Neglect of Mumia’s Health
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley and Glen Ford
    Criminal Neglect of Mumia’s Health
    20 Apr 2021
    Supporters of Mumia Abu Jamal, the nation’s best known political prisoner, held a press conference last Thursday demanding medical treatment for his damaged arteries, yet Pennsylva
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us