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

A Li'l Somethin' for Dick Gregory
Raymond Nat Turner, BAR poet-in-residence
31 Aug 2017
🖨️ Print Article
A Li'l Somethin' for Dick Gregory
A Li'l Somethin' for Dick Gregory

A Li'l Somethin' for Dick Gregory

by BAR poet in residence Raymond Nat Turner

Our white-bearded cannon
fell silent—
The day became grayer…
I know, I know, I know, I know…
He was my Mom’s favorite funnyman—
She bought his books, his vinyl
Speaking to her like Malcolm
(who she shared Turkish Coffee
with on his trips west, fishing for men)

I remember his mantra
He chanted like a Buddhist Priest:
“You youngsters got a lotta work to do…”
“You youngsters got a lotta work to do…”
Doubling us over,
splitting our sides, shaking our cores…

I remember his mantra
He chanted like a Buddhist Priest:
“You youngsters got a lotta work to do…”
“You youngsters got a lotta work to do…”
Piercing steel veils with X-ray vision
puncturing absurdities with barbed tongue—
Soul-ar powered bullshit detector
administering smell tests

I remember his mantra
He chanted like a Buddhist Priest:
“You youngsters got a lotta work to do…”
“You youngsters got a lotta work to do…”
while coming as close as we’ve come to
Having a Super Hero
putting his body
On the line running,
Marching, fasting, speaking,
Teaching us to follow
the money where the
bodies are buried…

Raymond Nat Turner © 2017 All Right Reserved

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


More Stories


  • Black Agenda Radio
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    Black Agenda Radio April 19, 2024
    19 Apr 2024
    This week we discuss the proliferation of lies about non-citizen voting and U.S. policy toward Niger. First, we talk to Danny Haiphong about U.S. policy toward China and what we can learn from…
  • Danny Haiphong
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    China's Example in the World
    19 Apr 2024
    We are joined by Danny Haiphong to discuss the current delegation to China that Margaret Kimberley has joined, U.S./China relations, and the importance of studying Chinese socialism.
  • Brennan Center
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    Non-Citizen Voting: A Non-Existent Problem
    19 Apr 2024
    We're joined by Andrew Garber, counsel at the Brennan Center for Justice, to discuss the mythology surrounding non-citizen voting.
  • RBN Logo
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    Niger and U.S. Africa Policy
    19 Apr 2024
    Margaret Kimberley was recently a guest on the Revolutionary Blackout Network and discussed Niger’s demand that the U.S. military leave that country. We present excerpts of that conversation with co-…
  • Friends of Socialist China
    Margaret Kimberley, BAR Executive Editor and Senior Columnist
    Lessons from China
    17 Apr 2024
    Socialist China is a powerful economic and diplomatic rival to the United States. Its success must be studied so that liberation may be possible and to prevent the declining U.S. from doing even more…
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us