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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 second 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
Kamala means lotus, blooming anew,
A symbol of strength where old barriers grew.
Kamala means justice, a vision that’s true,
In America, Kamala means POTUS and Kamala means Blue.
Kamala means power, redefined, reborn,
From whispers of history, a new world is sworn.
Kamala means mothers, their labor long worn,
Means daughters inheriting the battles we’ve borne.
Kamala means fighting with grace and with fire,
A voice that won’t tremble, a vision inspired.
Kamala means dreams that refuse to retire,
Kamala means leading with hearts that aspire.
Kamala means breaking through barriers, bold,
A story retold, of power beholden.
Kamala means voices that never were sold,
A force of nature, a future unbroken.
Kamala means hope in the darkest of nights,
Means marching for freedom, demanding our rights.
Kamala means standing, refusing to slight,
Means claiming our place in the broad daylight.
Kamala means lotus, from struggle we bloom,
Means creating a path where shadows consume.
Kamala means healing, dispelling the gloom,
Kamala means rising, Kamala means room.
Kamala means every unheard, unseen face,
Means rewriting the story, reclaiming our space.
Kamala means justice, no need for grace,
Kamala means winning the impossible race.
Kamala means unity, bridging the divide,
Means fighting for all with no one left aside.
Kamala means strength that won’t be denied,
Kamala means truth, Kamala means guide.
Kamala means lotus, from clay we ascend,
A symbol of growth, of promises penned.
Kamala means ally, Kamala means friend,
Means battles we fight, and wounds we mend.
Kamala means futures where all voices ring,
Means lifting the silence, the dawn that we bring.
Kamala means every child taught to sing,
Means the power of belief, in every small thing.
Kamala means struggle, Kamala means strive,
Kamala means keeping our dreams alive.
Kamala means first, Kamala means thrive,
Kamala means the fire in which we survive.
Kamala means lotus, beauty from pain,
A symbol of faith, a break in the chain.
Kamala means dancing in the midst of the rain,
Kamala means rising, again and again.
Kamala means us, Kamala means we,
Kamala means justice, Kamala means free.
Kamala means future, Kamala means see,
The world as it should be, Kamala means be.
Kamala means lotus, in America’s heart,
A promise of change, a powerful start.
Kamala means POTUS, the role she imparts,
Kamala means hope, in all of our hearts.
©️MustafaSantiagoAli
#Poetry #Kamala2024 @VP #DemVoice1 #VoteBlue #WinWithBlackWomen #WinwithBlackMen #AnswerTheCall2024