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 Fancy Miss Nancy
Raymond Nat Turner, BAR poet-in-residence
19 Dec 2018
🖨️ Print Article
Nancy Sue Wilson 1937-2018
Nancy Sue Wilson 1937-2018

Guess who I saw
today, black and white photo,
Marching, Montgomery from
Selma, ‘65?

Guess who I saw
at my high school swingin’ the
Trio; urging us to stay in school?

Guess who I,
was privileged to sequence
a later CD for, late one night?

…and you don’t know, you don’t know how
Glad I am that she
put the purr in whisper, with a sultry
Sound that could make subpoenas seem sensuous

…and you don’t know, you don’t know how
Glad I am that she
Appeared, sparkling, at the end of the
golden era—looking as good as she sounded—
Her face should grace
Buckeye State flags emblazoned
“There will never be another you…”

…and you don’t know, you don’t know how
Glad I am that she
Hovered earth— stunning hummingbird,
gorgeous humanitarian, giving the greatest
performance of her life, moments I loitered—
not seizing the time and asking, “When did
You leave heaven?”
Though, I think it was maybe ’37? I know she’s

Free Again…

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

Raymond Nat Turner is an acclaimed poet and performing artist. You can find much more of his work at 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


  • Beyond Affirmative Action, Toward Black Unity
    Austin Cole
    Beyond Affirmative Action, Toward Black Unity
    05 Jul 2023
    The recent Supreme Court decision which banned the use of race as a criterion for college admissions is indeed racist. The decision also obscures the need for Black unity and for a new Black…
  • What To the Exploited Working Class and Poor in a Capitalist Dictatorship Is the Fourth of July?
    Jacqueline Luqman
    What To the Exploited Working Class and Poor in a Capitalist Dictatorship Is the Fourth of July?
    05 Jul 2023
    The 4th of July celebration is a relic of American exceptionalist ideology. There is very little independence in a capitalist dictatorship.
  • In Brutal Summer Heat, Prisoners Say Their Cells Are Like “Stifling Hot Coffins”
    Victoria Law
    In Brutal Summer Heat, Prisoners Say Their Cells Are Like “Stifling Hot Coffins”
    05 Jul 2023
    Days of extreme heat without access to enough water and cooled air become deadlier for an aging prison population.
  • Police Brutality, Racism and Poverty Underlines Youth Rebellion in France
    Abayomi Azikiwe
    Police Brutality, Racism and Poverty Underlines Youth Rebellion in France
    05 Jul 2023
    Protests erupted in France after police killed a teenager of Algerian and Moroccan ancestry. Just as in the U.S. racism in France is the cause of police violence.
  • The United States Military, White Supremacy, and Affirmative Action
    Horace G. Campbell
    The United States Military, White Supremacy, and Affirmative Action
    05 Jul 2023
    The recent Supreme Court ruling which bans affirmative action as an admissions' criteria does not apply to the military academies. White elites are secure in their advantages while the military…
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us