BlackCommentator.com February 25, 2016 - Issue 642: Intersections - A Poem By Joe Navarro, BC Guest Commentator

February 25, 2016 - Issue 642

Intersections
A Poem
By Joe Navarro

"In my dreams I have
Emulated the oratory traditions of Dr. King
The winged disciple
Of peace, equality and justice
I have lived in the intersection
The crossroad of ghetto and barrio"

I am the configuration
Of complex social relations
Stemming from traditions
Rooted in resistance to oppression

My consciousness
My cultural existence
Sings the blues and sorrow songs
Sometimes sung as corridos
You see, I understood why BB King sang
Why I Sing the Blues
At times I echo Aretha’s plea
For R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Other times in my revolutionary moments
I espouse Malcolm’s declaration
For self-determination
In my dreams I have
Emulated the oratory traditions of Dr. King
The winged disciple
Of peace, equality and justice
I have lived in the intersection
The crossroad of ghetto and barrio

When James Brown frenetically
Danced and sang
Inspiring a generation
To Say it Loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud!
I ascended lofty ideals
Figuratively mounting the pyramids of my ancestors
To Say it Loud, I’m Chicano and I’m Proud! Too

I am the dialectical outcome
Of intersections of people
With complex historical conditions
Giving rise to voices for social change
Black Panther Party
Organization to Free Los Siete de la Raza
Young Lords Party

I had become a bilingual soul brother
Recognizing the intersections
Of multiple oppressions
Inspired by social movements
To repair the gaps and injustices
Sewn into the fabric of the constitution
A movement, un movimiento
To end poverty, despair and hopelessness
Waving the banners of civil rights and human rights
Peace, equality, justice and self-determination
Paz, igualdad, justicia y autodeterminación
You see, it sounds right either way
Black and Brown unity
…That’s what I’m talking about

BlackCommentator.com Guest Commentator Poet, Joe Navarro, is a Literary Vato Loco, creative writer, poet and teacher, who currently lives in Hayward, CA. Available for Presentations joenavarro.weebly.com His work is inspired by poets Amiri Baraka, Sonia Sanchez, Lalo Delgado, Gloria Anzaldua and others. His poetry echoes experiences and sentiments of oppressed people who struggle for justice, equity, self-determination and humanistic self-definition. Contact Mr. Navarro and BC.