When Ritagay Sisk-Jaimson first joined the Phillidelphia chapter of the Black Panther Party in 1969, she was under scrutiny not only from some of its members but also the federal government. Ritgay & her daughter Tandekile Francis sit down to speak with poet Courtney Sinclaire Brown, about their family’s multigenerational commitment to public service. And how Ritagay’s lifelong association with the Black Panther Party has cemented their belief in offering public aid by any means necessary. And then Courtney takes their activist’s legacy and turns it into poetry.

Versify is a production of Nashville Public Radio and The Porch — Nashville’s nonprofit literary center.  Editing for this episode came from WPLN’s Mack Linebaugh with additional editing by Anita Bugg. The episode was written, hosted, and produced by Joshua Moore. Today’s story and poem were recorded by Tasha Lemley at The Nashville Symphony’s 2019 Let Freedom Sing Concert.

* The music is by Blue Dot Session — found through the Free Music Archive. *

*The show is distributed by P-R-X. *