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

Will we walk, talk; Chew gum, text and BREATHE at the same time?
Raymond Nat Turner, BAR poet-in-residence
14 Aug 2024
🖨️ Print Article
Protest

“Power concedes nothing without a demand.
It never did and it never will.” —Frederick Douglass

I.

Will we march and fire speak—
Bringing fiery, fresh critique?
Trashing stifling ‘black' mystique—
Not sitting silent and weak?

Will we defeat Boss Tweet
Turning up our street heat—
Fighting for the Driver’s seat—
Making slaughter obsolete?

II.
Yes, we say “No!” to hungry Budapest ‘bout to bite
Our butts.  “No!” to Gremlin gangster—punctuating
Life sentences with “a little poison … ” “No!” to
Thin-skinned strongman; to never-ever wrong man.

Yes, we say “No!” to losing our heads in public places—

“No!” to embassy butchers. “No!” to facial recognition
Knowing our shadows’ whereabouts. “No!” to murderous
Monarchs.  “No!” to “Heil Hitler!” “No!” to  “Howdy Modi!”

Yes, we say “No!” to body-snatchers on theocratic cul-de-sacs.
“No!” to violent dress code-enforcers. “No!” to capital punishing
‘Morality’ Police. “No!” to the Texas Taliban placing hot
Orange buoys in barb-wired wombs—Making America grate again!

III.
And, yes, we promise People of  The World: No mo drunken
Negroz! Bloodshot eyes rollin ‘round in their heads— Happy
Dancing thin ice! Electric Sliding slick slogans: “Yes, we can”
And bottle Jim Jones Juice; For Regime “Change you can believe in!”

Yes, we promise People of  The World: No Negroz swearing
Black Magic Mumbo-Jumbo! “Wink-Wink/Nod-Nod” coded
Communication with Offal Office occupant. That all alphabet
Agency-affiliated ‘white’ folks ..uh … simply cannot decipher!
Yes, we promise People of  The World: No red hot Negro tongues
Licking bloody combat boots—post-surgical strikes on
Hospitals! Post-tons of guarantees to … uh … “Hold his feet to the
Fire …”

Yes, we promise People of The World: “Never again!” No

Silence of The Lambs/spook-ism years … No Three Monkey
Drone Ranger/De-porter-In-Chief crime spree years …
No nappy-headed foolishness of—NO demands on Dems!

Yes, we promise People of  The World: No unhoused Negroz—
Wandering cruel streets of capitalism— Mumbling, “Protect and
Respect” a Wall Street servant. ‘Pardoner’ of sub-prime predators—
Thieves—who wiped black wealth in homes from cooked books …

Yes, we promise People of  The World: Salt of the earth Negroz
Will not “Heel!” Repudiate resistance. Abandon mass struggle.
Leave liberation on shoulders of the road—to chase optical
Delusions—Superhero—Flying stars and stripes to the rescue (????)

© 2024. 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.

2024 election
Palestine
Fascism
Black politics
resistance

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


Related Stories

Glen Ford, BAR Executive Editor
Trump and America’s Fascist Forefathers
01 July 2026
Donald Trump is not an anomaly, but the heir of fascism which began in 1776 and continued throughout U.S. history.
Ann Garrison, BAR Contributing Editor
Could Wemby Become the Conscience of the NBA?
24 June 2026
NBA superstar Victor Wembanyama grapples with the times we’re living in, even as his career takes off.
Raymond Nat Turner, BAR poet-in-residence
Short word problems: do the math
03 June 2026
Work these word problems. Work them as if your lives depend onYOUR correct answers.YOUR solutions … Because they do:
Community Movement Builders - Newark
CMB Newark Statement on the Delaney Hall Uprising
03 June 2026
The immigrants who revolted inside the Delaney Hall immigration jail are not criminals but prisoners of war, and their actions are those of res
Anthony Karefa Rogers-Wright
Big D Dysfunction: Why The Democrat Party’s Latest Comedy of Errors is a Tragedy of Strategy 
27 May 2026
The party that installed its presidential candidate without a primary vote now blames its 2024 loss on everything except its own cont
x
Yarden Azoulay Katz
“Their Chaos is Our Peace”: Fighting Zionist Repression in Texas and Beyond
29 April 2026
Zionists continue their attacks on universities, exerting pressure to silence and terminate professors who express views in support of Palestin
John Parker
Socialist candidate John Parker: Abolish ICE and police, fund people’s needs
22 April 2026
Following is a recent campaign meeting talk by socialist congressional candidate John Parker.
Raymond Nat Turner, BAR poet-in-residence
STOP Cruel Reich Cult (CRC) from reinventing the wheel
01 April 2026
Cruel Reich Cult coveting Utopia of no unrest. No protest. Voiceless
Boycott the world cup
Black Alliance For Peace
100 Days From the World Cup, an International Coalition is Calling on FIFA to Move the Games From the U.S.
11 March 2026
The US has disqualified itself from hosting the World Cup through wars, genocide, and domestic repression.
Raymond Nat Turner, BAR poet-in-residence
Kid growing up under growing fascism
25 February 2026
When I became old enough to drink —then I became old enough to vote.When I became old enough to think —

More Stories


  • Kai Cash
    Planting Seeds of Sovereignty: Lessons from the Sahel and Beyond
    30 Apr 2025
    When the West slaps on tariffs, it’s 'economic security'—but when the Sahel rejects exploitative deals, it’s called a threat. From Cuba to Burkina Faso, countries have fought for self-sufficiency:…
  • Sean L. Malloy
    How the creation of the ‘New Antisemitism’ was used to shield Israel and attack the Left
    30 Apr 2025
    Challenges to Zionism in the late 1960s and 1970s sparked an effort to redefine antisemitism focused on defending Israel while attacking the political Left. This resulted in the IHRA definition and…
  • Dave DeCamp
    Sixty-Eight Reported Killed by US Airstrike on African Migrant Facility in Yemen
    30 Apr 2025
    The detention facility appears to be the one that was previously targeted by the US-backed Saudi-led coalition in Yemen.
  • Red Malunga
    Red Malunga Denounces Institutionalized Violence Against Haitian Migrants in the Dominican Republic
    30 Apr 2025
    As the Dominican Republic escalates its brutal crackdown on Haitian migrants and Dominicans of Haitian descent, Red Malunga condemns the racist policies fueling systemic violence and human rights…
  • U.N. Human Rights Watch
    US: 20 Years of Immigrant Abuses: Under 1996 Laws, Arbitrary Detention, Fast-Track Deportation, Family Separation
    30 Apr 2025
    For two decades, draconian 1996 immigration laws have torn families apart—jailing long-term residents over minor offenses, fast-tracking deportations of asylum seekers, and fueling the cruel machine…
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us