© 2004 M. Bennett Hooper



Oh what a pretty little baby, blind and 73 years old.
He is called Ray Charles, a black much loved musical icon
Who has just arrived for the biggest party that has ever honored him.
The hall is huge filled with what appears to be thousands of people as he is escorted towards the table of honor.

Ella and Sarah run to meet him with tears streaming down their cheeks, Billie and Nina sit chatting at a side table beckoning him to stop by on his way to the podium.
Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith yell out an all righty then and Mahalia Jackson gives a hallelujah holler.
Marian Anderson smiles politely and Jo Baker begins to dance with the younger Gregory Hines and Sammy Davis Jr.

Duke, Count, and Miles pull him away from the women as Coltrane picks up is horn.
Ekstine yells out to Mingus, and Prysock raises his glass.

Marvin cries out, “What’s going on” and
Dorothy Danderidge, Beah Richards and Florence Ballard slink into the room followed by Alvin Ailey, and Bill Robinson.

Lorainne Hansberry, Langston Hughes, Ron Milner, James Baldwin and Alexander Dumas arrive with pen in hand, followed by Alex Haley, Malcolm and Betty Shabazz., MLK , Joe Louis, Medgar, and Khalid Muhammed.
James VanDerZee sets up his camera as tears roll down Ray’s cheeks and an endless line keeps marching into the hall.
Ossie Davis and Johnnie Cochran enter as late comers.

Harriet Tubman enters and everyone rises to their feet.
I can see all of y’all he cries loudly.
Great God almighty.
Now what I say.