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

Amerikkka Was Built on Busting Up Families…
Raymond Nat Turner, BAR poet-in-residence
20 Jun 2018
🖨️ Print Article
Amerikkka Was Built on Busting Up Families…
Amerika was built on busting up families. They're just making Amerika great again.

“I would cite you to the Apostle Paul and his clear and wise command in Romans 13, to obey the laws of the government because God has ordained the government for his purposes”           

— Jefferson Beauregard Sessions, III,  Human Impersonator

Bottom of the boat

rocking, rolling, thrashing

Violently— the quaking black

hole now her life. She had

No idea where she was

on the awful ocean,

Traveling shackled for

thousands of miles;

belly beginning to bulge

with the baby of her foul-

smelling rapist and his

“Zero Tolerance” policy

for

tears…

She would bore four more for

a ‘Master,’ who’d sell her

to the West Virginian wanting

her in the worst way—

Ripping picaninnies from

nursing breasts to become

bucks and wenches, working

fields and lusts of slavers—“that

was then,” they say, “this is now:”

“Mama, Mama, Papa, Papa, Mama, Papa…”

tears of toddlers flooding searing shrieks,

Torturous cacophony; the satanic symphony,

counterpoint to cool BOP, ICE acronyms—

Amerikkka's great again—

At separating children from parents;

At spinning swastikas into scripture…

Once upon a time, mint julep-sipping,

Bullwhip-wielding christians in castles whitewashed by

Black labor, worked children and parents to death—

“And everyone lived happily ever after…”

© 2018. Raymond Nat Turner, The Town Crier. All Rights Reserved.

Raymond Nat Turner is Black Agenda Report's poet in residence. Click his name in red to see more of his work here at Black Agenda Report. For much more of his work, or to contact him for booking and other purposes visit http://upsurgejazz.com.

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


More Stories


  • Community Movement Builders - Newark
    CMB Newark Statement on the Killing of Wali Bey by Newark Police
    04 Mar 2026
    The media cycle has moved on, but the family of Wali ‘Grillz’ Bey is still waiting for answers after his murder by Newark Police.
  • Stephen Millies
    The War Against Black Workers
    04 Mar 2026
    Black workers built a strong U.S. labor movement. They now endure plant closings, deindustrialization, and low-wage work as a result of neo-liberal policies.
  • Middle East Eye Staff
    At Least 23 Protesters Killed in Pakistan After Killing of Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
    04 Mar 2026
    Anger erupted across the country, which is home to a large Shia population that viewed Khamenei as their spiritual leader.
  • The Cuban Institute of Friendship with The Peoples
    We Express our Firm Solidarity with the Iranian People: Statement from the ICAP
    04 Mar 2026
    In this statement, the Cuban Institute for Friendship of the Peoples (ICAP) expresses solidarity with Iran and condemns the United States and Israel's attack on that country and clearly states that…
  • Jeremy Kuzmarov
    Renegade African-American Soldier Should Be Remembered For Resisting White Supremacy and Colonialism
    04 Mar 2026
    David Fagen's defection demonstrated the history of Black solidarity with oppressed people.
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us