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


  • A History of Unemployment and the Search for Solutions
    Philip Harvey
    A History of Unemployment and the Search for Solutions
    21 Apr 2021
    The only time the United States has experienced real full employment was during World Wars I and II.
  • Study Indicates the Capitol Riots were Motivated by Racism and White Resentment, not 'Election Theft'
    Dartagnan
    Study Indicates the Capitol Riots were Motivated by Racism and White Resentment, not 'Election Theft'
    21 Apr 2021
    A consistent majority of the insurrectionists lived in counties that had rapidly diversified in recent years.
  • 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.
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us