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

Trigger Warning
Raymond Nat Turner, BAR poet-in-residence
22 Nov 2023
🖨️ Print Article
Protest for Palestine at the White House
Protest for Palestine at the White House (Photo: Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters)

Trigger Warning

Palestine’s the
Answer—
What was the
Question?

Why the red line in the tan sand—splitting the
World into irreconcilable camps? Oppressed-
oppressors; Exploited-exploiters; haves-Have nots?
Why the flashing cherry red moral lights—Demanding
Decisive Action—NOW?

Why siren urgency of squawking shofars? Of searing
saxophones? Why are anti-genocide guerrillas riding
in the moment? Improvising like Jazz Masters? Rallying
Scorched earth actions— cutting off Business As Usual
Choke-points?

Why the occupations of great train stations? The re-routing of rail-
roads? Why the blocking of bridges? Why are ports being held hostage—
From the Hudson to the Pacific? Why the sit-ins in offices of Lilliputians
posing as lionized leaders? Why are corrupt congress members’ and
sleazy senators’ steer manure messages being blown out of the water?
Why are Moby Dick-sized lies of bought and bossed windbags getting
Shot down…. one-by-one?

Why do Hellfire Missiles of murderous, mustard seed-hearted men
incinerate our holiness? Coat our hearts with white phosphorus?
Strangle our souls?
Killing us softly with their
Wars?

Palestine’s the
Answer—
What was the
Question?
 

Š 2023. 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.

Palestine
poetry

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


Related Stories

Ali Ridha Khan
The Assassinated Word: Kanafani at 54
11 August 2026
"54 years after his assassination by the Zionist entity, Ghassan Kanafani’s career, politics, and dedication to the Palestinian Liberation stru
x
Craig Mokhiber
No, Israel does not have ‘a right to exist.’ Quite the contrary, actually.
04 August 2026
"Unlike the Zionist claim that 'Israel has a right to exist,' my assertion is rooted in international law.
Nicaragua
Becca Renk Foster
Nicaragua to Raise Its Voice for Palestine in Another Landmark Case at the ICJ
04 August 2026
Against the backdrop of Israel’s renewed attacks on Palestine, the World Court is set to hold public hearings in Septembe
Ramzy Baroud
The Spark in Tell: How a Village Resistance Disrupted Israel’s West Bank Strategy
29 July 2026
Palestinians have the right to defend themselves under international law and they exercised it in the town of Tell on the West Bank. 
Noah Hurowitz
Trump’s Sanctions Against the ICC Are Unconstitutional, Rights Groups Say
22 July 2026
The human rights groups’ suit came as the Trump administration vowed to destroy the International Criminal Court entirely.
Jeremy Scahill , Jawa Ahmad
Exclusive: Internal Documents Show Trump’s “Board of Peace“ Moving to Crush Palestinian Self-Determination
24 June 2026
Gaza proposals obtained by Drop Site show Trump’s board attempting to force a Palestinian surrender that Israel could not achieve in war.
Ramzy Baroud
Why Didn’t Iran Put Gaza on the Table? A Difficult Answer
03 June 2026
From Gaza to Tehran, from the politics of resistance to the limits of regional diplomacy, a pressing question has resurfaced amid the 2026 war:
Editors, The Black Agenda Review
ESSAY: The Palestine Question: Background and Solution, Edward Atiyah, 1946
20 May 2026
“It is impossible to make a national home for one people in a country inhabited by another, except by dislodging the latter.”
Ann Garrison, BAR Contributing Editor
Regarding Nuclear War Between Israel and Iran
15 April 2026
The political fallout from Trump’s recklessness in West Asia continues around the globe, while some wonder how far the radioactive fa
​​​​​​​ Ajamu Baraka, BAR editor and columnist , Margaret Kimberley, BAR Executive Editor and Senior Columnist
What is the 'Left' in the Era of Global Fascism
18 March 2026
There is no coherent and sustained leftist movement at the very moment that U.S. led global fascism is accelerating.

More Stories


  • BAR Book Forum: Vincent Lloyd’s Book, “Black Dignity”
    Roberto Sirvent, BAR Book Forum Editor
    BAR Book Forum: Vincent Lloyd’s Book, “Black Dignity”
    19 Oct 2022
    This week’s featured author is Vincent Lloyd. Lloyd is professor of theology and religious studies and the director of the Center for Political Theology at Villanova University. His book is Black…
  • The Black Alliance for Peace Opposes Biden Administration’s Security Council Resolution on Haiti and Calls for its Veto
    Black Alliance for Peace Haiti/Americas Team
    The Black Alliance for Peace Opposes Biden Administration’s Security Council Resolution on Haiti and Calls for its Veto
    19 Oct 2022
    The Haiti/Americas Team of Black Alliance for Peace explains that Haiti's problems are caused by the imperialist gang, who stymy Haitian sovereignty and self-determination at every turn. The next…
  • Hashtag Activism and US Imperialism
    Erica Caines
    Hashtag Activism and US Imperialism
    19 Oct 2022
    The social media hashtag is often where serious politics goes to die. It can be a tool of empire used to fool well-meaning but uninformed people.
  • The Lethal Threat of White Boss Syndrome
    Mark P. Fancher
    The Lethal Threat of White Boss Syndrome
    19 Oct 2022
    The idea that white people have an inherent right to control Black people permeates to this day. Mark Fancher provides another viewpoint on the killing of Porter Burks and the legacy of white…
  • Detroit City Council Expands “ShotSpotter” After Two More are Gunned Down by Police
    Abayomi Azikiwe
    Detroit City Council Expands “ShotSpotter” After Two More are Gunned Down by Police
    19 Oct 2022
    Detroit resident Porter Burks was killed by police while in the midst of a mental health crisis. To add insult to injury, the city of Detroit is spending millions of dollars on dubious technology…
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us