When I Think of MLK Day
I.
When I think of MLK Day, the man himself doesn’t appear to me.
Black people do—of skin that is bronze, chocolate, almond, midnight (as the Black boys and people that turn Blue in the twilight whilst Juan teaches them to swim), and hues with etcetera’s that paint every continent under the sun. Viva, might we say, as never once has death cut each of us off from the light of the collective liberation struggle.
II.
When I think of MLK Day, the man himself doesn’t yet occur.
Captive chains reverberate between bordered walls which sought to bound Habibi
Send me cry in the streets,
your motion crushed Ice, and “Como esta usted?” my comrade.
“Sake pase, my Love?” I bid you both adieu and “N’ap boule” as we feel the heat of imperialist oppression in the Belly of the Beast
but align the breaking of our chains with your fist revolution to abolish slavery.
III.
When I think of MLK Day, the man himself appears as a spirit.
“I ain’t gon’ let nobody turn me round’
Turn me round
Imma gonna keep on walkin’
Keep on a talkin’
Fighting until freedom stands”
My guitar is acoustic, possibly electric
But it damnwell might be a sitar
cuatro
I played with the masses to make colonists pay
even Johnson couldn’t be robbed so blue
Tune of solidarity as international
IV.
When I think of MLK Day, the man himself is man, but also ella, and also them
Classes, held down by the force of the ruling elites
As Hov spit,
We “give them hell” til they release my heaven
the work place & community we masses battle 24/7
V.
When I think of MLK Day, I embrace King
Only surname & shout “No Kings!”
He died a man who fell out of favor with the Bourgeoisie American cause’ his dream saw that the people would be free.
And emancipation conjures new imagination for us
Our left fist up, as it was made to caress the clouds
I know we declare, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
VI.
So, when we think of MLK Day, we don’t just think, we do!
Organizing and Policy Associate