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 Brother Bruce
Raymond Nat Turner, BAR poet-in-residence
03 Jul 2019
🖨️ Print Article
 For Brother Bruce
 For Brother Bruce

Here’s the FOIA requested,
Redacted part of the story they never tell
You. 

Baby Bruce was wandering
the Midwest with Dorothy and Toto—
Before they picked up the Tinman in 
Pittsburgh, the Scarecrow on Staten Island,
the Cowardly Lion in Los Angeles
Baby Bruce had a baby brain, a huge
heart and fully formed courage that
would be schooled and steeled at the 
point of production—
Molding a straight-up soldier on
The Long March; A rank-in-file, 
meet ‘em where they’re at,
shoe leather, serve the people, 
door-to-door knocking, 
troublemaking organizer;
Chitown stubborn kinda fella— 
stubborn as a Georgia mule—
Refusing to slip, on Iceberg Slim
posing as community organizer…

He had huge heart, big brain and 
courage. Barrel of his pen blazing—
welcoming me from the wilderness,
Cali isolation, to fight side by side
Against the masked man— The
Drone Ranger; when icons and 
Legends were losing their minds

and Slutty Professors dangled
on the dick of Deporter-in-Chief!

When Bruce’s 404 popped up on my phone
It was business—but personal—laughing, joking, 
we’d cover the waterfront with lunch bucket language…
I pray The Wizard put a Bruce Dixon Organizer’s App
 on my phone countering some spyware…

© 2019. Raymond Nat Turner, The Town Crier. All Rights Reserved.

Bruce Dixon

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


Related Stories

The Courage to Write the Truth: Where and When Bruce Dixon Enters History
Dr. Matthew Quest
The Courage to Write the Truth: Where and When Bruce Dixon Enters History
21 August 2019
Bruce entered history as the most distinguished critic of the Black political class during the Age of Obama.

More Stories


  • Arendt saw the “Negro question” as a “Negro problem” rather than a white problem.
    Roberto Sirvent, BAR Book Forum Editor
    BAR Book Forum: Kathryn Sophia Belle’s “Hannah Arendt and the Negro Question”
    06 May 2021
    Arendt saw the “Negro question” as a “Negro problem” rather than a white problem.
  • The authors set out to reconstruct King’s critical theory of racial capitalism.
    Roberto Sirvent, BAR Book Forum Editor
    BAR Book Forum: Jared A. Loggins and Andrew J. Douglas’ “Prophet of Discontent”
    06 May 2021
    The authors set out to reconstruct King’s critical theory of racial capitalism.
  • The US Military Occupation Of Trinidad
    The National Workers Union
    The US Military Occupation Of Trinidad
    06 May 2021
    The National Workers Union
  • Voices Are Raised Against the NBA Launching Its New African League in Rwanda
    David Zirin
    Voices Are Raised Against the NBA Launching Its New African League in Rwanda
    06 May 2021
    Human rights groups are concerned that using Rwanda as a backdrop would provide a public relations boost for its autocratic leader.
  • Police and the License to Kill
    Matthew D. Lassiter
    Police and the License to Kill
    06 May 2021
    Detroit police killed hundreds of unnamed Blacks in response to the civil rights movement, revealing why most of today’s proposals to make police more accountable are bound to fail, and how we can
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us