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| Willis Moore and Jesse Turner Rawa Syrian Restaurant New Haven CT |
Today, I was with Brother Willis Moore having coffee with him, preparing for my Readman: Truth to Power Hour show on 103. 5 FM New Haven, (
https://wnhh.org ). this Friday at 11 with my guest Dr. Julian Vasquez-Heilig, (
https://www.linkedin.com/in/drjvh/ ).
Willis and I were engaged in intensive critical preperations, particularly regarding public education. Dr. Vasquez Heilig is America's number one Foot Soldier for Justice and Equity in education. We understand that Julain is gacing us with an hour of air time. We talked for over 3 hours. Willis gifted me with a coffee mug with a quote from Fannie Lou Hamer:
"You can pray until you faint...
If you don't get up and do something about it,
God ain't going to put it in your lap."
I am drinking tea from that cup as I write. I am the bigger picture type, and Willis is the pragmatic one. I talk about challenging the system, he talks about what can we do to help parents understand what is at stake. We discussed dozens of questions to ask Julian. All good all worthy, but it was Mrs. Willis who came in toward the end of our conversation, but she caught enough to understand where it began and where it was going, She said I have a question for Dr. Julian Vasquez Heilig. She is an active member of the New Britain NAACP, a mother, wife, and concerned human being. She said ask him: "What can we do locally to fight back against Trump, inequity and injustice in Black, Brown, and poor White schools?" Like my Momma Mrs. Moore knows words, prayers and questions matter. Her question matters, and will be asked on Friday. This idea of acting locally will guide my actions for the rest of the year.
Like always, coffee with Willis Moore primed the well, helped me see the bigger picture, and not forget there is no bigger picture, without the smaller picture. I left inspired. Mrs. Moore's question and comments reminded me of the powerful role mothers play. On Friday, I asked Willis to join us on the show. Like Fannie Lou Hamer said get up and do something. Let us all get up and do something on Friday 8/29 at 11, (https://wnhh.org). Let us all get up, listen up, see, and talk it up about it to others after the show, keeping passing it on. Imagine if we tune in on Friday. Imagine if we talked it up with our family, neighbors and friends after the show? Now, imagine all of us passing it on. I could and should end this blog here, but Willis gave me a cup. A cup that held the dreams and love of a Black mother Fannie Lou Hamer, who could not have children of her own, she was sterilized without her knowing. She adopted two daughters. Fannie is a Civil Rights Legend, but first she is mother supreme, and should be taught about in every school in the land. On Friday come hear Willis and I listen to Dr. Julian Vasquez Heilig Back To School Message for Teachers, parents and Leaders.
Momma's John 1.1,2 & 3 Lesson or blog number 2.
John 1.1,2&3 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and in the Word God."
When I went home from coffee with Willis. I sat in my garden, and remembered Momma. Her memories calling me to the well.
When I was an angry homeless child,
I would hit out at anyone and everyone.
I would say hurtful things to my mother:
"Momma this is wrong,
I hear you praying all day long, nothing ever happens.
I ain't got a bed of my own,
No kitchen,
No sitting room,
We have nothing Momma.
Momma God ain't listening to your prayers, I am tire of hearing you pray."
I could not imagine more hurtful words from a son to his mother. The last thing a faithful mother needs to hear is God is not listening to her prays. What could she say, what could she do, where could she go with my words...Now poor boys say things to their mothers that cut deeper than any knife. I may not have meant it, but I knew my words cut Momma. Hurt my mother. I could see the pain, and the fear, on her face.
She sat still, stayed silent for a long time before she said a word. I knew my words cut, by the tears rolling down her face. Even though I was a child, I knew Momma felt being homeless was her fault. That cut hurt her, but the deepest cut, was "God ain't listening, I am tire of praying". Those words cut so deep, she was near breaking. There wasn't anything that scared her more than her son losing faith in God.
Three minutes can be an entity in a young boy's eyes. Life has a way of freezing critical moments in a 12 yeqr-old's memory. By the best of my reflections, her silence was three minutes at the most. Just long enough for her to silently pray: Dear, Lord, Dear Lord help me..help my son.
"Son, I wish I had answers about why us.
I wish I could give you a house on a hill, a bed, a bedroom, a garden, a place to run, jump and grow.
I can't give you those things right now,
But one day I promise you will have all of those things.
Now about God listening to my prayers,
No one expelled you from school,
The police have not come looking for you,
You are not running with hoodlums.
Now you listen to my mothers rank their prayers...
A mother prayers are many.
My ranked prayers:
First comes prayers for your child's schooling,
Next comes please Lord keep my child out of trouble, and,
keep my away from that bad crowd."
Number one is school, number two is out of trouble with the law, and number three is keep my boy away from those gangsters. Now number 4 is yes a place of our own, 5 kitchen home cooked meals, and a bed of your own, but without 1,2, and 3, well 4, 5 and 6 don't matter much.
Before I cut Momma with my words, I did not know mother's ranked their prayers. I was twelve years-old, I had no clue to a mother's burden. My words were meant to cut, to hurt, to embarrass her. In the end, I was broken, I was embarrassed, and I could do no more than cry, fall into her arms, and say I'm sorry Momma. A mother's redemption lifts her children. Her forgiveness is life saving.
A homeless kid, words cut. I cut her that day, like the cut before that, the one before, and the dozens of other cuts. We sat on that bench we sat on every night for two years. In the train station, surrounded by the masses of people coming and going to work. Invisible to the world. That bench in that invisible place where God made my Momma strong. Where prayer shielded us. She opened her bible, read the word, and asked her only son, let us us pray together. I said, Momma you pray numbers 1, 2, and 3. I'll cover 4,5 and 6. Like Momma I rank my prayers to this day. My mother's redemption to this day lifts me.
Sometimes John 1,2 and 3 prayers are enough, but shelter and food are high up on the prayers of poor mothers as well. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." Momma heard the word, she heard God, and God was with her. For that 12 year old homeless kid, praying for a bed and a kitchen cooked meal of his own helped keep his faith. Ranking his prayers redeems him still.
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| Momma worked 6 days a week even when homeless |
Not certain, where to go next with this blog today. Momma loved saying sometimes a person has to stand up and testify. I guess I am standing up with Fannie Lou Hamer "You can pray until you faint, get up and do something...God ain't going to put it in your lap. Thank you Fannie and thank you Momma. On the air on Friday, I shall testify.
If you like to hear the tune that inspired my morning walk today, it is Bruce Springsteen's sing Bob Dylan's "The Chimes of Freedom". Link live Manchester England 2025 > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJ3SbxZ3EdQ <
Chime of Freedom opening verse:
"Far between sundown’s finish an’ midnight’s broken toll
We ducked inside the doorway, thunder crashing
As majestic bells of bolts struck shadows in the sounds
Seeming to be the chimes of freedom flashing
Flashing for the warriors whose strength is not to fight
Flashing for the refugees on the unarmed road of flight
An’ for each an’ ev’ry underdog soldier in the night
An’ we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing"
Peace, love, hope, and may our struggles be joyful ~ Dr. Jesse P. Turner's radio sign off.
