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 a young labor leader leading by example
Raymond Nat Turner, BAR poet-in-residence
13 Aug 2025
🖨️ Print Article
Chris Smalls
Democracy NOW

“The future of labor is the future of America.”  
                                  —John L. Lewis

When butchers boarded in 
International waters—
Drenching our screens scarlet with blood lust
Bankrolled by our treasure—despite our oceans of tears …

When buccaneers boarded in
International waters— 
And laughed at lawful orders to stand down. To not
Kidnap, shanghai, pressgang peace activists aboard

When freebooters boarded in
International waters—
Shocking shoulder-to-shoulder, back-to-back body
Language greeted them: “Hands up, don’t shoot!”

When pariah state pirates boarded in
International waters— 
Gold doubloons disappeared and became baby formula,
Diapers, stuffed animals, and assorted hygiene supplies

When scurvy bigots boarded in 
International waters—
We prayed against ‘sand-nigger’ servings of rifle-butts; and other
DEI (Death Emaciation Injury) ‘perks,’ hourly granted Palestinians

When bellicose ship wreckers boarded in 
International waters— 
We held historical breaths. Imagined a U.S. traffic
Stop. Militant Black labor leader shot on the spot!

Alas, our young labor leader’s home! Life uncrushed like cigarette butt— by
Bulldozer. Un-pierced by whistling sniper’s bullet. Home, warehousing curses,
Taunts, knees, blows— pitiful— feeble in hand-to-hand combat with hands of
Time …

Š 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.

labor
Christian Smalls
Palestine
Gaza
Israel
humanitarian

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


Related Stories

x
Yarden Azoulay Katz
“Their Chaos is Our Peace”: Fighting Zionist Repression in Texas and Beyond
29 April 2026
Zionists continue their attacks on universities, exerting pressure to silence and terminate professors who express views in support of Palestin
John Parker
Socialist candidate John Parker: Abolish ICE and police, fund people’s needs
22 April 2026
Following is a recent campaign meeting talk by socialist congressional candidate John Parker.
Alan MacLeod
From Dunks to Drones: The NBA Has an Israel Problem
22 April 2026
Behind the glamour of the NBA playoffs lies a coordinated effort by the league, its owners, and star players to promote the zionist entity.&nbs
Roberto Sirvent, BAR Book Forum Editor
BAR Book Forum: Zophia Edwards’ Book, “Fueling Development”
01 April 2026
In this series, we ask acclaimed authors to answer five questions about their book.
Boycott the world cup
Black Alliance For Peace
100 Days From the World Cup, an International Coalition is Calling on FIFA to Move the Games From the U.S.
11 March 2026
The US has disqualified itself from hosting the World Cup through wars, genocide, and domestic repression.
Julia Kassem
‘Israel’: The Glue That Pieces Together the Maxwell-Epstein Saga
18 February 2026
Julia Kassem argues the Maxwell–Epstein saga is best understood through the lens of Israeli intelligence networks, tracing a continuity of espi
Margaret Kimberley, BAR Executive Editor and Senior Columnist
Epstein Files Shows How the Elites Move
04 February 2026
The importance of the Epstein files cannot be underestimated.
Margaret Kimberley, BAR Executive Editor and Senior Columnist
Eric Adams, Zionism, and Pre-Emptive Strikes Against Mamdani
19 November 2025
Eric Adams, New York City’s blustering and corrupt outgoing mayor, is working with his allies to undermine mayor elect Zohran Mamdani
Marwa Yousuf K.
Mamdani and The Liberal Repackaging of Power
12 November 2025
Zohran Mamdani's victory in the New York City mayor's race was significant, but liberalism succeeds by presenting a veneer of change where it m
Raymond Nat Turner, BAR poet-in-residence
enemy within
08 October 2025
“Political language … is designed to make lies sound truthful andmurder respectable “   — George Orwell

More Stories


  • Sam E Anderson
    Beyond the Algorithm: Defending the Cuban Revolution’s Record Against Ahistorical Attacks
    22 Apr 2026
    A critical analysis of ongoing social media warfare against Cuba and the global African response to a revolution under criminal siege.
  • John Parker
    Socialist candidate John Parker: Abolish ICE and police, fund people’s needs
    22 Apr 2026
    Following is a recent campaign meeting talk by socialist congressional candidate John Parker. Parker is a founding member of the Struggle for Socialism Party and Struggle-La Lucha magazine. He is a…
  • Alan MacLeod
    From Dunks to Drones: The NBA Has an Israel Problem
    22 Apr 2026
    Behind the glamour of the NBA playoffs lies a coordinated effort by the league, its owners, and star players to promote the zionist entity.
  • Tim Anderson
    Iran Survives Terrorist War and Emerges a Major Power Broker
    22 Apr 2026
    Tim Anderson tours Iran during the US-Israeli war, showing different scenes from the terrorist targeting of civilians. He contends Iran has emerged with greater regional leverage, especially through…
  • BAR Radio Logo
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    Black Agenda Radio April 17, 2026
    17 Apr 2026
    In this week’s segment, we have an update on the US/Israeli war of aggression against Iran from a journalist reporting from Iran. But we begin with two organizers of the Pan-Africanism Summit Against…
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us