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


  • Black Agenda Radio for Week of December 23, 2019
    Black Agenda Radio with Nellie Bailey and Glen Ford
    Black Agenda Radio for Week of December 23, 2019
    23 Dec 2019
    Democrats Largely Silent on Bolivia Coup
  • BAR Co-Founder Book Exposes "Sham” of US Democracy
    Black Agenda Radio with Nellie Bailey and Glen Ford
    BAR Co-Founder Book Exposes "Sham” of US Democracy
    23 Dec 2019
    The US has failed in its purported mission to forge a society based on human equality, said Margaret Kimberley, co-founder of Black Agenda Report and author of the new book, “
  • McCarthy Era Laid Groundwork for Sixties Repression
    Black Agenda Radio with Nellie Bailey and Glen Ford
    McCarthy Era Laid Groundwork for Sixties Repression
    23 Dec 2019
    Charisse Burden Stelly, professor of Africana Studies and Political Science at Carleton College, said the long US history of red-baiting led to lethal repression of radicals in the
  • Democrats Largely Silent on Bolivia Coup
    Black Agenda Radio with Nellie Bailey and Glen Ford
    Democrats Largely Silent on Bolivia Coup
    23 Dec 2019
    “We’ve seen very little pushback from the Democratic Party” to the military coup that deposed Evo Morales’ Native American government, said Jake Johnston, of the Center for Ec
  • Letters from Our Readers 
    Jahan Choudhry BAR Comments Editor
    Letters from Our Readers 
    19 Dec 2019
    This week readers discussed police brutality and the Trump impeachment proceedings.  We share your letters for “
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us