They Say you from 'Orleans

Marvin X at his Academy of Da Corner, Lakeshore Ave., Oakland CA. At his Academy of Da Corner, he has been interviewed by Cecil Brown of Stanford University, a scholar from American University (Marvin cannot remember her name), Dr. Ellen McLarney of Duke University for his chapter in her forthcoming book on Black Muslim Writers in America. Dr. Justin Gifford for his biography of Eldridge Cleaver, Revolution or Death. Dr. Cornel West says, "Marvin X is the African Socrates teaching in the hood."--Dr. Cornel West, Harvard University. Ishmael Reed says, "Marvin X is Plato teaching on the streets of Oakland." Bob Holman says, "He's the USA's Rumi, Saadi, Hafiz!" Amiri Baraka said, "Marvin X has always been in the forefront of African writing. Indeed, he is one of the founders and innovators of the revolutionary school of African writing."

Marvin X speaks

You know a prophet is loved except in his own land. I get no recognition for putting my life on the line to teach at Fresno State University even though the black police said, "When Marvin X came to teach at Fresno State College/University, he made things better for everybody, not just students at FSU. Before he came to FSU, black police officers couldn't patrol the white side of town!"--Sargent Jack Kelley, founder of the Fresno African American Museum.

photo Gene Hazzard

They Say You From 'Orleans 

They say are you from 'Oleans

I say no no dirty south here

They say chit'lin's

I say no

No chit'lin circuit on my tour

Nigga laugh out this world

No chit'lin circuit on my tour

Cali negro true n true

mama born in central valley

maternal people valley pioneers 

cotton pickers from Arkansas Oklahoma

farmers don't you hear

Came to central valley

busloads to pick cotton

more cotton in valley than mississippi

don't you know

tent cities in fresno

came up cant you see

tent city ain't always

when you don't want to be

families in tent cities

lovers for life

rise up from tents

soon husband wife

children go to school

play pro ball don't you know

strong country boys

represent the pro

Me 

Central Cali nigga

Oaktown too

Central Cali nigga

city country boy through n through

Edison High basketball team

Oaktown too

Prescott Lowell Jr. High

7th Street nigga

true n true

Played basketball New Century Defermery Park

Bill Russell Pointer brothers, Jim Hadnot, Paul Silus, Aiken brothers too 

Made Merritt College team

Mack niggas too tall fa me

Jim Toliver could dunk

guard

dunk like he 6'3''

Toliver hardly 5'6"

me 5'6" too

Toliver

jumped high into a tree

Toliver A.C Scott guards we

Lowell Jr. High

Joe Ellis on team

Warrior's Joe Ellis

what a dream what a dream

I won  free throw contest

9 out of 10

pretty good ugh 

9 of 10 free throw line

got a trophy for ma win

New Century nigga don't sin

Back to broder man

ain't no 'Orleans nigga

ain't from Lake Charles

ain't from Monroe LA like Huey Newton

My podna from Merritt

he like pig shootin'

Ain't from Grambling

Jackson State

Mississippi

Ain't from Texas Southern

down street from daughter's house

Wrote book bout Eldridge Cleaver

three weeks for My Friend the Devil

Funniest book of 2009

Jimmy Garett said

Didn't need no footnotes didn't tell no lies

People said Marvin 

if Cleaver the devil

who are you

People said Marvin if Cleaver the devil

who are you

If you can't figure it out

i might be the devil too!

Dress like you from 'Orleans boy

where you from

be true to me

I might be from the river

Might be from the deep sea

Might be from the forest

might be from the woods

might be from the valley

might be from the hood

Don't matter where I'm from

valley or the sea

I'm a man

M.A.N

Main

Hustler

ain't no pimp

don't wait for mine

hustle sea to sea

See me in the mornin

'Orleans Bourbon Street

might want etouffee for breakfest

bananas french toast

what about eggs n rice

cali nigga you know

daddy from kentucky

rice country

mama central valley

no grits don't ya know

we ate rice breakfast lunch dinner

friends called me Moto

Chinese man don't you know

never saw a nigger eat rice

day and night

no grits

rice butter sugar n cream

daddy kentucky nigger

blue grass n white rice

nothin nice

Mama central valley girl

picked cotton cut grapes

her world

grandfather Murrill

99 when he died

1941

Fresno Bee Newspaper

gave him pride

Bee said respected negro

black and whites alike

What manner of man

Ephraim Murrill

Great grandfather

in his stride

North Carolina to Arkansas to Cali

pioneer was he not

I am his seed

DNA all the way

did not know him

but he knew me everyday

cotton grape fields

Ephraim general of the land

yes I'm his seed

great son of this man.

I stand on his shoulders

my grandpa too

no matter we rescued him drunk El Gato Negro

Grandpa still true.

Was it pain of cotton grape fields made him drink gamble all night

We sat outside El Gato Negro while Uncle Stan got grandpa from gambling drunk fight

We all lucky to be alive

Thank God for today

None of us would be here

if devil had his way.

Thank God he is Mighty

Thank God he is True

Thank God he protects fools and children

like me and you!

--Marvin X

10/21/20