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Note: Viola Fletcher was one of the last survivoirs of the Tulsa Massacre of 1921.
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 130h in our Democracy and Hope Series. This series will highlight hopeful aspects about our Democracy using various genres including poems.
thank you, Mother Fletcher
for holding a century of knowing
like it was just another Sunday memory,
for reminding us that survival
can be gentle,
and still be strong enough
to outlive fire.
_____
you walked through Tulsa’s night
carrying daylight in your pocket,
teaching us how to smile
even when history
tries to steal your name.
_____
i will miss you—
the way your presence
made the room remember its manners,
the way your truth
sat down beside us
and refused to be quiet.
_____
go on, beautiful elder,
join the ancestors
who have been saving you a seat
_____
they’ve been waiting
to wrap you in the kind of love
the world should have given you sooner.
_____
and we—
we’ll keep your story warm,
tuck it into our pockets
like you taught us,
and walk forward
with your light
still humming
in our hands.
©️MustafaSantiagoAli
#RestInPower #MotherFletcher #TulsaRaceMassacre #Poetry