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

“No Matter What Sign You Are,”4th Supreme
Raymond Nat Turner, BAR poet-in-residence
16 Jan 2019
🖨️ Print Article
the supremes
The Supremes

Mary was mysterious,
but the best dancer
Diana, the magnetic,
cooing romancer—
But, here’s a secret I know:
cats like me dug Miss Flo—
And the 4th Supreme’s ‘fro!

The 4th Supreme came
Singing tones ‘tween
Douglass and Carmen McRae—
Malcolm X and Lady Day

The 4th Supreme came
Singing “Stop In The Name Of Love!”
by way of Brandeis/Bombing-ham—
hitting Dynamite Hill high notes

The 4th Supreme came
Singing “Reflections”
in silver bracelets, on a
Newsweek cover captioned:
“Red, Black and Wanted!”

Hoover hated her harmonies with millions…
But I heard, “Set me free, why don’t you, babe?”
Rocking me to “ …Try Something New:”
Dialectics…

 

The 4th Supreme came
Singing, “I Hear A Symphony—”
“No Matter What Sign You Are,”
in ’08—but I
forgive her and comrades
and friends for singing flat
Madison Avenue smash hits: “Yes,
we can and bottle Jim Jones Juice;”
“regime Change you can believe in—”
delivering “Nothing But Heartaches” to
Honduras, Libya, Syria, Mother Africa…

© 2018. Raymond Nat Turner, The Town Crier. All Rights Reserved.
Raymond Nat Turner, our poet in residence, is an accomplished performing artist. You can find much more of his work at http://upsurgejazz.com.

poetry

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 Injustice of This Moment Is Not an "Aberration"
    Michelle Alexander
    The Injustice of This Moment Is Not an "Aberration"
    22 Jan 2020
    Yes, Trump is an inveterate liar, but American politicians have always told lies about the Black and brown people they demonize and mass-imprison.
  • Venezuela: A Successful Year of Resistance
    Francisco Dominguez
    Venezuela: A Successful Year of Resistance
    22 Jan 2020
    Washington’s strategy throughout 2019 was aimed at bringing about chaos and mayhem sufficient to justify US military intervention. 
  • In Anti-Communist Fervor, FBI Built a 500-Page File on Coretta Scott King
    Aaron J. Leonard
    In Anti-Communist Fervor, FBI Built a 500-Page File on Coretta Scott King
    22 Jan 2020
    Scott King was spied on constantly by the FBI – surveillance that was authorized by the Kings’ “friends,” the Kennedy brothers.
  • Huey P. Newton and Martin Luther King Jr.: Revolutionary Love and Unity
    Archishman Raju
    Huey P. Newton and Martin Luther King Jr.: Revolutionary Love and Unity
    22 Jan 2020
    Both Newton and King sought to create a united front for peace and socialism.
  • Want Out of Jail? First You Have to Take a Fast Food Job
    Anna Wolfe and Michelle Liu
    Want Out of Jail? First You Have to Take a Fast Food Job
    22 Jan 2020
    The convict labor system was once notorious in Mississippi – and it still is, under the guise of debt restitution.
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us