by Raymond Nat Turner
Dr. King’s Dream come true,
In his head! Black folks way better
Off, in his head, Rev. Wright was
Wrong, in his head!
…In his head
by Raymond Nat Turner
Headin’ downtown on the D train
The other day I overheard oration—
By a fella, to a fella, from a fella 51/50
“Mexicans takin’ our jobs; they hate
Our freedoms— but blurred lines,
Beyonce’s booty, NAACP Image
Awards, Robin Thicke & recovery
Jus’ roun’ the corner; smart phone,
Dr. Dre headphones lift me outta
Poverty; smart bombs protect my
Freedoms; I got 2,000 Facebook
Friends, a poke away, who gimme
My kidney & bone marrow transplant!”
Booming baritone thundering in
Harmony with the train, he continued
His melodious, rhythmic catechism,
“Since ’08 things been Great,” in his
Head, Dr. King’s Dream come true,
In his head! Black folks way better
Off, in his head, Rev. Wright was
Wrong, in his head! “Yes, we can,”
In his head, mo’ Black folks have
Homes since World War II, in his
Head! Mo’ Black wealth than ever
Before, in his head; fewer Black folk
Dyin’ fo’ they 70th, in his head; mo’
Black men goin’ to college than jail,
In his head, liars figure but figures
Don’t lie, in his head, in his head,
“Change we can believe in,” in his
Head, police stopped shootin’ us
Since that beer, in his head; we
Cool, long as Big Brother brown, in
His head! Oratory swelling like a
Dark cumulus cloud, lookin’ me
Dead in the eye, “This election the
Mos’ important election ever…”
“The rich say that every time,” I snapped.
He leapt up like a man possessed, banshee-
Rebel- wailing, “What, you ain’t votin’?
Nigger, get away from me, you is cra-aaa-zy!”
Raymond Nat Turner can be contacted at upsurgejazz.com
Raymond Nat Turner © 2014 All Rights Reserved
BAR Executive Editor and Senior Columnist, Margaret Kimberley, analyzes the 2026 midterm election with Jamarl Thomas.
The Black Agenda Report celebrated its 20th anniversary on November 7, 2026, at Arnhold Hall at The New School in New York City, hosted by its School of Media Studies.
The recent midterm elections have brought more Black people to high elected office, but for 20 years, Black Agenda Report has warned about the dangers of the Black misleadership class.
We reprint Dr. Jemima Pierre’s remarks at the 20th anniversary celebration for Black Agenda Report, New York City, November 7, 2026.
We reprint Ajamu Baraka’s remarks at the 20th anniversary celebration for Black Agenda Report, New York City, November 7, 2026.
