Yet She Rose: By Turhan Shabazz

Black Buzz News Service
Special Report
Braddock, Pa.
February 22, 2010


The poem titled "Yet She Rose" by Turhan Shabazz appeared in the Crossing Limits Anthology in 1996.

TURHAN SHABAZZ, AKA " The BARD of BRADDOCK," the "Community Griot," is a cultural voice within the African American communities of Pittsburgh. His poetry inspires, and uplifts all fortunate enough to either hear him read his own work, or who read his work in one of his published poetry collections. Turhan is also active in human and social justice efforts in and around Pittsburgh.

Yet, She Rose by Turhan Shabazz

Through years of slavery, hard times and oppression...
she rose.
Through weeks of hard work, til each Sunday school session...
she rose.
Through tired days in hot sun, gardening, raking, planting
and hoeing.
Through tired days doing laundry, washing, ironing and sewing.
Through days in the market, walking, carrying groceries
and shopping.
Raising children who run, play, climb; who
never know about stopping...
she rose.
Through rapes and assaults that occurred day and night,
by a slave owner she had no way to reject or to fight.
Through years of being touch, felt, produced and pinched;
with no one to defend her without being lynched.
Through years of watching her man emasculated.
Years of being insulted, ignored; being miseduacated.
She rose.
Though put down because she was considered too dark and not
"fair".
Put down because she didn't have cornsilk hair.
Put down because she was not refined and petite..
Because her shoes didn't cover corns on her feet...
yet she rose.
Like a sunflower in summer that grows higher and higher.
Like a flame in winter from logs on the fire.
Like her voice on a Sunday as she sings in the choir.
She rose, She rose.
Like Mary, the sister in the Bible, in Luke eight.
Who rose after the Lord made seven devils vacate.
Like Sojourner and Harriet, who were not meant to fall.
Like sister Rosa, who stood and started it all.
Yes, they rose. They rose. But, not because they were strong.
They rose because the Creator was with them all along.
Like so many black sisters whose strength is surprising.
They rose. They rose. And God still has them rising.
9-9-94.

Blogger Black Buzz states that in 1973 in the community of Braddock Pa., Casey now called Turhan Shabazz, and Big Jim Morgan helped their community avoid an all out armed racial conflict. Through the efforts of Casey and Big Jim Morgan along with the Governor's Office of the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, The Community Advocate Unit of The State Attorney Generals Office, The Pennsylvania State Police, Pa. Department of Community Affairs, The Pa. Education Department, and the U.S. Justice Department's Community Affairs Branch, a major race war was averted.
* African American history is American history and we will not be confined to the shortest month of year February in presenting facts, stories, and critical analysis on the contributions of Black Africans throughout the African Diaspora in the development of western civilization.