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

DEI in the sky
Raymond Nat Turner, BAR poet-in-residence
05 Feb 2025
🖨️ Print Article
Donald Trump

“Fascism, by its very nature, must be
anti-rationale and anti-humane.”

                              â€”I.F. Stone

Not even semiautomatic “thoughts and prayers”
Fired, as black boxes, and burned bodies of
Beloveds are fished from icy waters of the
Potomac … And notification of next of kin trudges on  â€¦

Strong embraces … for bloodshot eyes?
Compassionate hugs leaning into shattered hearts? 
Comforting words … soothing souls in shock?
Humble head bowed in prayer with parents?

None of this. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. Zero. Bupkis.
From the reigning Champions of Cruelty. Nothing.
Nada. Zilch. Zero. Bupkis from moneyed men with
Empty, mustard seed-sized hatred-filled hearts …

Nothing, except an absurd salad of words served 
Piping hot on high fructose corn syrup talking points;
And fermented elephant excrement. Nothing, except
Leftovers from tattered menus mimicking ancient agendas …

Evidence? Commonsense!
Had to be DEI—in the sky …
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion—
Oh, my!
Darkies  flying Blackhawks in
Civilian sky!

Must’ve been the Blackhawk Helicopter—
Or, was it an Apache? Dumb-assed Indians!
Wasn’t colorblind—merit-based—
Best and brightest—most and whitest!

Must’ve been monkey-ass Soul Plane Snoop Dogg
Pilots flying civilian aircraft into military airspace?
Wasn’t colorblind—merit-based—
Best and brightest—most and whitest!

Must’ve been woke, chicken wing Tuskegee
Airmen?    Never could fly like white pilots!
Wasn’t colorblind—merit-based—
Best and brightest—most and whitest!

Evidence? Commonsense!
Had to be DEI—in the sky …
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion—
Oh, my!
Darkies  flying Blackhawks in
Civilian sky!

Must’ve been Mexican and Haitian pilots—
Eating the dogs instead of flying the plane?
Wasn’t colorblind—merit-based—
Best and brightest—most and whitest!

Must’ve been transgender air traffic controllers—
Switching off radar for Gay-dar?
Wasn’t colorblind—merit-based—
Best and brightest—most and whitest!

Reagan knew! Wasn’t colorblind—merit-based—
Best and brightest—most and whitest!
Fired lazy-assed DEI air traffic controllers—
For the best and brightest—most and whitest!

Must’ve been Black flight attendants filing their nails,
Instead of calmly telling passengers, “We’re gonna die …”
Wasn’t colorblind—merit-based—
Best and brightest—most and whitest!

Evidence? Commonsense!
Had to be DEI—in the sky …
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion—
Oh, my!
Darkies  flying Blackhawks in
Civilian sky!

Negroes blew up two very fine Boeing Max jets! 
And blew the door off another over the Northwest—
Must’ve been a Black flight attendant opening the door 
In flight?

© 2025. Raymond Nat Turner, The Town Crier. All Rights Reserved.
 

Raymond Nat Turner is a NYC poet; BAR's Poet-in-Residence; and founder/co-leader of the jazz-poetry ensemble UpSurge!NYC. You can Vote for his work at GoFundMe and PayPal.

Do you need and appreciate Black Agenda Report articles? Please click on the DONATE icon, and help us out, if you can.


More Stories


  • 2022 Midterm Elections
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    2022 Midterm Elections
    11 Nov 2022
    As the midterm election approached, the charge of Russian election interference re-emerged. Margaret Kimberley discussed that and election predictions with Dr. Wilmer Leon and Garland Nixon on their…
  • For African/Black Working Class and Colonized Peoples, Midterm Elections in the U.S. Offer No Relief from War, Repression and Capitalist Misery
    ​​​​​​​ Ajamu Baraka, BAR editor and columnist
    For African/Black Working Class and Colonized Peoples, Midterm Elections in the U.S. Offer No Relief from War, Repression and Capitalist Misery
    09 Nov 2022
    The 50 year old neo-liberal agenda explains why political choices in this country provide little change that benefits the masses of people. The recent midterm election results will not bring about an…
  • Why Democrats Don't Win The Way They Should
    Margaret Kimberley, BAR Executive Editor and Senior Columnist
    Why Democrats Don't Win The Way They Should
    09 Nov 2022
    ​​​​​​​The people prefer the initiatives which democrtatic party leadership claim to support. But their interests are those of the oligarchy and not of the voters. Slim margins of legislative victory…
  • DAKAR MANIFESTO: Africa: from Resistance to Alternatives, 2001
    Editors, The Black Agenda Review
    DAKAR MANIFESTO: Africa: from Resistance to Alternatives, 2001
    09 Nov 2022
    The 2001 Dakar Manifesto had a simple but unassailable claim: the total and unconditional cancellation of the odious African debt.
  • Africa Confronts the Food, Fertilizer, and Climate Crisis
    Ann Garrison, BAR Contributing Editor
    Africa Confronts the Food, Fertilizer, and Climate Crisis
    09 Nov 2022
    Food production in Africa is complicated by climate change and the use of fertilizers which increase food production but which also create green house gases and create other environmental harm.
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us