Love Notes for Jerry Vernado, San Francisco State University Strike Leader

 

Jerry Varnado RIP

 San Francisco State University BSU Strike leaders Jerry Vernardo and Jimmy Garrett

In my early days at San Francisco State University, even after I joined the Negro Students Association, there were some Negro students were more blue than black. I wondered about those students who didn't come to the NSA especially during the fight to morph into the BSU. Even myself had doubts about the change to BSU, so how could I decry the Frat brothers and sisters playing Whist in the cafeteria bid nigga, bid, you black radicals shut the fuk up. Then the revolution came, from Negro to Black. The BSU took over from Negro Students Association, we submitted to Black. Even the Frat boys submitted, Jerry Vernado among the crew of frat boys and sorority girls who flipped into blackness and were true. Even Danny Glover was into drama but flipped to join Black Arts West Theatre in the Fillmore, my theatre with playwright Ed Bullins, Hillery Broadous, Duncan Barber, Ethna Wyatt, Carl Bossiere to name a few. We can't leave out the musicians who taught us ritual theatre like Rafael Donald Garrett, Monte Waters, Earle Davis, Oliver Johnson, Dewey Redmon, to name a few. 

But back to Jerry Vernardo and the BSU, inspired by the need for social justice he joined the BSU,joined the student revolution true and true. We remember Jerry, Danny, Benny, Terry, Jimmy, Maryanna, Abdul Sabri, Aubrey, JoAnn Mitchell, Ellendar Barnes, Judy Juanita, to name a few.

Jerry became a leader of the strike, suffered jail time as sacrifice. Learned he was from Mississippi, family tradition of civil struggle for civil rights.

But most of all I remember Jerry because he honored me. He said my poem Burn Baby Burn on the Watts rebellion of 1965 was the best poem could ever be. Other said the same that Burn Baby Burn ignited the 60s revolution. Jerry and others said, including Mrs. Amina Baraka, said Burn Baby Burn was the best poem for all times. In honor of Jerry I will read it to honor him.

I must tell the story of his legal advice. When I completed my autobiography Somethin' Proper, Black Bird Press, 1998, I asked Jerry for legal advice. I said Jerry read it for slander and libel. But Jerry first define libel to me. Jerry said libel is simply anything that is not true. So he read my manuscript and got back to me. He said Marvin you got to take out something that is not true. I said what Jerry. He said you quote Dessie X who said "Huey Newton's brother Melvin did not come from the same womb as Huey. You quoted Dessie X as saying Melvin Newton came from a baboon's asshole. Marvin, you got to take that out because it is not a true statement." And so I did.

I love you Jerry, you were a classic Black Man, a warrior true and true. 

Let me end with the poem Jerry praised me to no end.

Burn, Baby, Burn

Tired.
Sick an' tired
Tired of being
sick an' tired.



Lost.
Lost in the wilderness
of white america
are the masses asses?
cool.


said the master to the slave,
"No problem, don't rob an' steal,
I'll be your drivin wheel."


Cool.
And he wheeled us into 350 years
of black madness



to hog guts, conked hair, covadis
bleaching cream and uncle thomas
to Watts.
To the streets.
To the kill.
Boommm...2 honkeys gone.

Motherfuck the police
Parker's sista too.
Black people.
Tired.
sick an' tired.
tired of being
sick an' tired.
Burn, baby burn...
Don't leave dem boss rags
C'mon, child, don't mind da tags.
Git all dat motherfuckin pluck,
Git dem guns too, we 'on't give a fuck!
Burn baby burn
Cook outta sight



Fineburgs
whitefront
wineburgs
blackfront
burn, baby, burn
in time
he
will learn.

--Marvin X (Jackmon)
1965
from Soulbook Magazine, Fall, 1965

--El Muhajir/Marvin X

9/11/21