Mustafa Santiago Ali
Dr. Mustafa Santiago Ali is the Executive Vice President of Conservation & Justice for the National Wildlife Federation (NWF), former Interim Chief of Programs at the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), and Instructor at American University. He is the Founder and CEO of Revitalization Strategies. He also serves as a commissioner for The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (AAAS). He is an award-winning writer and poet focused on social justice. Dr. Ali is frequently seen on television, including appearances on MSNBC, ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, VICE, FUSE, BET, National Geographic, Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, and Democracy NOW! Mustafa is also a regular guest on Roland Martin Unfiltered, Black News Channel, Tavis Smiley Show, The Dean Obeidallah Show, and many others…
Editor's Note: This poem is the 75th in our Democracy and Hope Series. This series will highlight hopeful aspects about our Democracy using various genres including poems, interviews, short stories, and articles about political events
she was spirit made flesh, a tongue fluent in the dialect of dawn. her body—an archive of survival, bending, breaking, rebuilding against the weight of a world that dared to doubt her.
she danced for those who had forgotten how to weep, for those whose joy had been stolen and renamed silence. she taught us that movement is not just motion— it is testimony.
in revelations, she stretched her arms wide enough to hold heaven. in cry, her tears fell like lessons, each one a baptism, each one a revolution.
born in a city where dreams wore heavy boots, she lifted herself into light, tall as every “no” that tried to bow her head.
judith was more than muse. she was the fire that taught stars how to burn. she was a mirror, showing us our own power even when we couldn’t see.
her steps shattered ceilings, her leaps crossed borders— of race, of gender, of gravity. she taught us that art is a weapon sharpened on the stone of resilience.
now she rests. but her rhythm remains, a pulse in every heart that dares to dream, a reminder that we too can rise, can dance, can become.
we will carry her light, we will sing her name in the language of movement, and the world will remember.
©️MustafaSantiagoAli
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