4by BAR poet-in-residence Raymond Nat Turner
Why, dey otta hab logos on dey suits
Tellin’ de wurl how deys in cahoots—
Maybe den dem lil’ Negroz unnerstan
Dat logo leaduhs is workin’ fo’ de ‘man?’
My Wise Country Cousin on Logo Leaders
by BAR poet-in-residence Raymond Nat Turner
Off wit smokin’ jackit, silk pajamuh
Fo’ photo-ops, posin’ in Alabamuh
But, frum ebry thang I hear an I see
Dey is still de blak booze-wah-zee—
Corprit as de summa day is long
Lak two lef shooz, deys jus wrong!
Dey’s de wurs ob de bottum feeduhs
Dats, why I calls dem logo leaduhs!
Why, dey otta hab logos on dey suits
Tellin’ de wurl how deys in cahoots—
Maybe den dem lil’ Negroz unnerstan
Dat logo leaduhs is workin’ fo’ de ‘man?’
Dem logo leaduhs ain’t about much
‘Cept, co-optin ebry thang dey touch
Why, dem Negroz de lowest ob de low
How dey turn a march into a trade show?
I dun tolt you, son, it ain’t no mistree—
Dey wrote de book on re-writin’ histree!
Dem Negroz is puttin’ us all in danguh
Infestin’ Selma wit de Drone Ranguh!
How a man killin’ folk ebry Toozday,
Deliverin’ families’ wurs bad news day,
Hab de nerb enuf to invok de Norf Star?
Constetushallnull lawya dey shud disbar!
How he gon’ fix his mouf ‘bout non-vilunz
Wen Occupy an’ Blak Lives Matter:…silunz?
How he gon’ fix his mouf ‘bout non-vilunz,
Wen Libyuh an’ Seerya I jus’ hear: …silunz?
He talkin’ an’ gestrin lak he channlin’ Dr. Kang—
You rekun dem drones wud be de Dr.’s thang?
Dem lil’ Negroz jus’ crawl frum unda a rock?
Why caint dey see de Commanduh a Warlock?
When dem lil’ Negroz gon’ wake dem sefs up—
Quit shakin’ de spare change beleef cup…?
Raymond Nat Turner can be contacted at Raymond (at) upsurgejazz.com
Raymond Nat Turner © 2015 All Rights Reserved
Navid Zarrinnal is an Iranian journalist and host of The Colony Archive podcast. He joins us from Tehran to discuss the US and Israeli aggression and explains why the left must be in solidarity with…
The United States attack on the Islamic Republic of Iran began on February 28. Our guest provides analysis on this U.S. aggression from an anti-imperialist and Black left perspective. Erica Caines is…
The U.S. is careening towards economic and military disaster, a moment when the Black radical tradition is missing but badly needed.
“We salute all peoples who are fighting/We honor all those who have died/For the cause of freedom.”
This lecture was delivered on February 3, 2026, at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver (Canada) for the monthly series “Black History and the Project of Black Studies.”
