Happy Birthday, General B

Latest

General Baker, speaking at Benton Harbor rally in support of Rev. Pinkney and the community’s struggle against Whirlpool.
General Baker, speaking at Benton Harbor rally in support of Rev. Pinkney and the community’s struggle against Whirlpool.

 
September 6, 2016
Happy Birthday, General B,
You can never be far from me —
Times are tough, just like you said
Corporations positioned to see us all dead.
They don’t need us to work, so
Our value feels low —
Computers been hired, so
We all can just go.
In the hands of these pirates,
Our tomorrows seem dim;
We remember your words,
Fight, Fail, Fight once again.
You are here in our thoughts,
In the years we all shared,
Clarity guides us, so
We ain’t hardly afraid.
A new world from technology,
Stands close at hand;
All that is needed is for the
World to demand.
So on this September, we pledge
For us all;
To demand a better life where
Humanity stands tall.
Happy Birthday, General B…
You will never, ever
Be too far from me.
Maureen D. Taylor, Michigan Welfare Rights
Editor’s note: General Baker, a nationally and internationally known labor leader from Detroit, a life long-revolutionary, educator of the people, and contributor to the People’s Tribune, died in 2014.  

+ Articles by this author

Maureen Taylor is a longtime economic justice leader and a leader in fight to stop privitization of water in Detroit, and elsewhere. She is chair of the Michigan Welfare Rights Organization.

Free to republish but please credit the People's Tribune. Visit us at www.peoplestribune.org, email peoplestribune@gmail.com, or call 773-486-3551.

The People’s Tribune brings you articles written by individuals or organizations, along with our own reporting. Bylined articles reflect the views of the authors. Unsigned articles reflect the views of the editorial board. Please credit the source when sharing: ©2024 peoplestribune.org. Please donate to help us keep bringing you voices of the movement. Click here. We’re all volunteer, no paid staff.

1 COMMENT

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Featured

Pushing People into a Really Bad System Will End Really Badly

President Trump's executive order fuses drug use and homelessness, ignoring that homelessness can cause or exacerbate substance use because people use drugs to cope with pain. Forced institutional settings rather than housing will not help the ill or unhoused.

Chicago Resistance Speaks: ‘Until All Are Free, None Are Free’

An uprising is growing as the government tries to impose a dictatorship. Chicago resistance leaders recently offered their thoughts in public remarks made at demonstrations and press conferences.

Los Angeles Continues to Rebuild and Resist

Angelinos, suffering from the profit over people economy, continue to rebuild after the fires and to protest immigration raids, while also experiencing joy in such difficult times.

Chicago Teachers Union Says: Trump, Stay Out of Our City

Chicago Teachers Union rejects any unlawful federal occupation of their city, while welcoming federal leadership that fully funds public education, restores SNAP, and expands Medicaid to healthcare for all.

Journalist Says Why ‘I Can No Longer Work With Reuters’

A photojournalist says why it is impossible for her to maintain a relationship with Reuters "given its role in justifying and enabling the systematic assassination of 245 journalists in Gaza."

More from the People's Tribune