Bob Marley sang: "No woman No Cry, I remember when we used to sit. In the government yard in Trenchtown And then Georgie would make the fire light. Log wood burnin' through the night. Then we would cook corn meal porridge. Of which I'll share with you. My feet is my only carriage"
These feet are my only carriage
What is 40 days and forty nights to the righteous?
What is 400 miles to the Just?
What is 400 miles to a teacher bent on justice and equity in our public schools?
I say not a thing these feet can't handle!
Can I, forget Mrs. Stansfield lesson on Langston Hughes: "What happens to a dream deferred,"
Can I, not still hear Langston's words?
"What happens to a dream deferred?"
"Does it dry up. like a raisin in the sun?"
These ears, may be older, but they still hold the lessons of my past.
What happens to a dream deferred?
Mrs Stanfield said, it can rise,
I say, it can it rise?
What if, it rises up?
What if, it speaks up?
What if, it walks?
Do I, stay quiet?
Do I, become another coward hiding in his apathy?
Do I, dare speak up?
Do I hear the Nay Sayers shouting?
What can one man walking accomplish?
I don't know,
But, Truth Matters,
Trust me brothers and sisters,
One man walking in the name of love,
Matters!
Am I not, their teacher,
Am I not, their defender?
Am I not, Jesse The Walking Man Turner.
Do I not teach at Central Connecticut State University?
How could I not remain true to the legacy of our favorite son, Ebenezer D. Bassett?
How I do I forget his final thesis title, The True Teacher?
How do I not pick up the mantle of "The True Teacher?"
How do I not remember that Ebenezer the teacher, became America's first Black Diplomat?
How do forget in that role became known as "The Hero of Hispaniola"?
How do I forget he save thousands of lives in Haiti?
How do I forget he returned to assume the role of teacher, of educator, of leader?
I teach at Central Connecticut State University, Bassett's house of learning.
Silence and apathy are not the tools of a true teacher.
Silence and apathy are not acceptable at Bassett's house of learning,
Silence and apathy are the tools of cowards, not the true teacher.
Get Ready Secretary DeVos?
Get Ready all you "Test Them Until They Cry Ed Reformers?
Get Ready all you school budget cutters?
Get ready cause this raisin, isn’t drying up.
Get ready for this teacher is rising
Get ready cause this teacher is rising for all teachers.
Get Ready cause this teacher is rising for all children.
This True Teacher:
Is walking for equity in our public schools,
Is walking for justice in our public schools,
Is walking for every child, parent, and teacher being beat down by those School Choice liars.
Is walking, because someone has to tell them, children are more than test scores.
Tell our lying President,
Tell our lying Congress,
Tell our lying Senate,
Tell those lying Wall Street Profiteers,
Tell that House of pain, that house of shame,
Tell that United States Department of Education,
This True Teacher is calling their BS.
I have walked this truth road before,
I am already in training again,
Down 12 pounds, and
Gearing up for one more 400 mile walk.
These old feet are strong,
These feet are made for walking,
These feet will carry me,
These feet are my only carriage for justice,
These feet carry the legacy of the Hebrew people who walked out of bondage in Egypt,
These feet carry the legacy of runaway slaves seeking north,
These feet carry the legacy of those Women Suffragettes seeking the vote,
These feet carry the legacy of civil rights workers fighting for the vote,
These feet are Moral MondayCT strong,
These feet are Journey 4 Justice Strong,
These feet are Save Our Schools March strong,
These feet Badass Teaching strong,
These feet are union storng,
These feet are United Opt Out strong,
These feet are Black Lives Matter strong,
These strong feet will walk for justice.
These feet shall walk to DC again,
These feet will be walking,
Walking to demand that Betsy DeVos reign,
I'm not stopping at Betsy's doors in that House of Pain, that House of Shame, that United State Department of Education.
I am laying this body and these feet down between those doors,
Let them carry me out, or
Watch her leave for good.
Silence and apathy are not acceptable to a True Teacher,
Blow your teaching trumpets to Gabriel,
This teacher is walking again.
Jesse The Walking Man Turner
Link to learn more about Ebenezer Bassett >
http://ww w.ccsu.edu/bassett/biography.html<
Link to learn more about Mrs. Stanfield > http://childrenaremorethantestscores.blogspot.com/2017/02/one-black-teachers-legacy-forever.html <
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