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 twenty-eighth 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.
We honor the hands, blistered and worn,
the silent backbones of history’s scorn,
who built up the wealth without pockets adorned,
whose labor was stolen, whose dignity torn.
From fields where the sun scorched the backs of the brave,
to factories grinding out dreams to the grave,
women who fought for a sliver, a save,
in boardrooms where silence kept equity caged.
No praise for the mothers with night-shifted eyes,
whose worth was diminished by suited disguise,
who carried the burden, the house, and the skies,
yet found only echoes of promises lied.
Today we remember, today we reclaim,
the fight for a paycheck that honors a name,
for daughters, for sisters, for those never framed,
in portraits of power but still lit the flame.
The measure of hands is the strength of their grace,
the push for tomorrow, the call to displace,
the myths that still tell us our work has no face,
but here we stand hopeful, demanding our place.
©️MustafaSantiagoAli
#Poetry #LaborDay #ProudBlue #Unions #WorkersRights #EqualPay #WomensRights #WealthGap