Farewell Benjamin Zephaniah – another fighter for justice has died
Particularly as an antiracist organisation, we pay tribute to Benjamin Obadiah Iqbal Zephaniah, poet, musician, actor and political activist for justice and equality who has died from a brain tumour, aged 65, when I am sure he had much more to give. His death has touched many very deeply; we share the deep sadness so many feel at the death of . Michael Rosen, for example, posted this on social media: “The tragic terrible news has come to me that Benjamin Zephaniah’s family have announced that Benjamin has died. I’m devastated. I admired him, respected him, learnt from him, loved him. Love and condolences to the family and to all who loved him too.”
JVL’s short tribute to Benjamin Zephaniah includes two YouTube links and two poems, one by him and one for him.
Benjamin was known for his commitment to justice and this was international. “When I was young,” he said “there were two things that I really wanted to see; a free South Africa, and a free Palestine.”
The mainstream media posts that I have seen have omitted that he was a Patron of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, who posted this image today, December 7th 2023, the day that he died.
He went to see Palestine for himself after which he wrote a book “Rasta Time in Palestine” in 1990 (sadly out of print now) . In it he wrote about the welcome he received, the generosity with which he was met and contrasted this with what he was told by an Israeli soldier who, shall we just say, was despicably rude about Palestinians.
This is a song he wrote about Palestine: (2) Palestine – YouTube
These are pictures of him with young Palestinians when he went to Palestine to see for himself:
Poem by Stuart Long expressed the sadness at his death:
Benjamin Obidiah Iqbal Zephaniah,
Softly Jah call your name.
Black history month went by once more
Just before death came.
Poems of Babylonia
Your words have set you free,
Linton Kwesi Johnson writes
Your last obituary.
Every eye will weep tonight
Handsworth choirs will sing
You only lost your final fight
It’s a rastafari thing.
Upright, righteous citizen,
Smoky prophet and scribe,
The halls of fame have opened wide
Inviting you inside.
Pipe up child, speak clearly
And get things off your chest.
The poets will miss you dearly
Rise up now, unoppressed.
Benjamin Zephaniah publicly refused an OBE
‘OBE means Order of the British Empire. MBE is Member of the British Empire. I’ve been fighting against empire all my life. I’ve been fighting against slavery and colonialism all my life. I’ve been writing to connect with people, not to impress governments and monarchy. So how could I then go and accept an honour that puts the word ’empire’ onto my name? That would be hypocritical.’
Which poem to include by Benjamin Zephaniah
We could have picked from many poems that he wrote about racial justice, but I chose this one for the way it shows how the media portrays Black people, Muslims and Palestinians and the impact it has on Black people. We publish the poem here but you may prefer to watch and listen to Zephaniah performing the poem himself (2) Benjamin Zephaniah – Rong Radio – YouTube
Rong Radio Station by Benjamin Zephaniah
My ears are battered and burned and
I have just learned that i have been
Listening to the wrong radio station
My mind has been brutalised now the pain can’t be disguised
I’ve been listening to the wrong radio station
I was beginning to believe that all black men were bad men
And white men would reign again
I was beginning to believe that i was a mindless drugs freak that
Couldn’t control my sanity or my sexuality
I was beginning to believe that I could not believe in nothing except nothing
And all i ever wanted to do was to get you and to do you
I’ve been listening to the wrong radio station
My future has been blighted i am so short sighted
I’ve been listening to the wrong radio station
I was beginning to not trust me, in fact, i wanted to arrest me
I’ve been listening to the wrong radio station
I’ve been dancing to music that i can’t stand
I’ve been reciting commercials to my girlfriends
I’ve been trying to convince myself that what i really need is a sunbed
And a mortgage and some hairspray, the kind of hairspray that will wash my grey blues away
I been trying to convince myself that I shouldn’t care about anyone else but myself
I have been trying to convince myself that i could ease my conscience
If I gave a few pence or a few cents to a starving baby in Africa
Because African babies need my favours
Because Africa is full of dictators
And oh yeah globalisation will bring salvation!
I’ve been listening to the wrong radio station
I thought my neighbours formed an axis of evil
I wanna go kill people
I’ve been listening to the wrong radio station
I am sure I didn’t inhale so why is my mind going stale
I’ve been listening to the wrong radio station
I was beginning to believe that all muslims are terrorists
And christian terrorists didn’t exist
I really did believe that terrorism couldn’t be done by governments
Not our government, not white government
I just could not see what was wrong with me
I gave hungry people hamburgers you see
I was beginning to believe that our children were better than their children
Their children would die from terrorism but i couldn’t hear their children call
And a child from Palestine simply didn’t count at all
What despair
No children i was not aware
I’d been listening to the wrong radio station
For years I’ve been sedated, and now i think I’m educated
I’ve been listening to the wrong radio station
And every time i got ill, i took the same little white pill
I’ve been listening to the wrong radio station
When it started I was curious but then it got so serious
It was cool when it began but now I really hate Iran
And look at me now i wanna make friend with Pakistan
I wanna bomb Afghanistan, and i need someone to tell me
Where the hell is Kurdistan?
Yeah, you can be my ally for a while until i come to bomb your child
And I’m sure there’s a continent called the middle east
And i think i can bomb my way to peace
I’ve been listening to the wrong radio station
I’ve been listening to the wrong jams, I’ve been listening to the wrong beat
I’ve been listening to the wrong radio station
I’ve been listening to the wrong tones of the wrong zones
I’ve been listening to the wrong radio station
I’ve been listening to the wrong voices
I made such mad choices
I’ve been listening to the wrong radio station
I’ve been listening to spies I’ve been listening to lies
I’ve been listening to the wrong radio station
I needed to know what some pop star somewhere was having for breakfast
I needed to know that I was no longer working class
I needed to know if the stock market rose 1 percent
I needed to know that I had a ruler to give me confidence
I needed to know that my life would improve loads
If I had an operation on my nose
I needed to hear that DJ say
“Good morning, good morning!”
I thought he was there just for me
I loved the way that he would say, “This show was sponsered by…”
“Oh my oh my”, he made me cry
I’ve been listening to the wrong radio station
Can you dig this? I put my self on a hit-list
I’ve been listening to the wrong radio station
I used to take myself for granted now I believe I am wanted
I’m laughing and I’m crying and I’m watching myself dying
I’ve been listening to the wrong radio station
Listen to him, can you hear?
Listen to her, can you hear?
Listen to it, can you hear?
Listen to me, keep this frequency clear!
Tune in, Drop out
So grateful, Leah, for this lovely homage to an outstanding friend of Palestine and foe of empire. I messaged many friends early this morning but the email was blocked by one address (to be revealed on request).
My godchildren were Benjamin’s neighbours in East London and he did so much to help them as well as doing his wider work as an artist and activist. He saw deeply to the roots of violence and injustice, from campaigning against hitting children to exposing the corrupting honours system. We also met in Hyde Park in February 2003 at the million-strong march, and I know he would have been with us protesting for ceasefire now.
Like huge numbers of people right now, I can’t believe he’s gone.
Somehow, the BBC website, whilst mentioning many of the attributes that Benjamin Zephaniah’s showed, overlooked his consistent support of the Palestinian cause. Strange that.
I can’t believe how little time I had to get to know him. One in a million.
R.I.P Mr Zephaniah: unique man of political fire and deep humanity. Will always remember his great poetic spirit and gentle humour.
Really pleased to see this tribute and its highlighting of his commitment to Palestine. Thank you.
Sad to hear of his passing. A much loved resident of Handsworth Birmingham.
Benjamin Zephaniah’s repeated public definition of racism was – as it took in structural and historical factors – just about the same as Diane Abbott’s. You have to wonder how long it would have been before the lobby got their teeth into him too – particularly given his pro-Palestinian politics.
No surprise the establishment is omitting the latter from his obituaries.
Upon Desmond Tutu’s death, establishment obits, similarly omitted the fact that he was prominent in documenting the horrors of Israeli-Apartheid and that he’d called for the prosecution of Iraq war criminals.
This allowed Gordon Brown to appear on news stations in supposed tribute to Tutu, as if they were still friends, despite the fact if the Arch-Bishop had gotten his way Brown would have been in the same dock in the Hague as Blair.
The corporate news media is shameless, particularly when confronted with figures whose boots they are not fit to lace.
A Great loss, a wonderful man and he will be sorely missed by many many people from all over The World.
I am appalled that many obituaries in the mainstream press and media are choosing to ‘air brush’ out the fact that Benjamin Zephaniah spoke up for The Palestinian People and had spent time in Occupied Palestine to see for himself the racist Israeli Apartheid state situation there.
The Power of his Politics ,the great spirit, passion and humour of his Art, his poetry and music will live on !
Long live Benjamin Zephaniah !
Long live Palestine !
Solidarity with The Palestinian People !
WE SHALL OVERCOME !
Thank you for the tribute, and the wonderful poem by Benjamin. I had never read it before. Riveting. I am so sad that he is gone.
A poem for Benjamin
I prepare to meet my father, resting at his feet, in his presence I will receive my reward. My father has sheltered me,watched over me , when I’ve been shrouded in darkness. Guided me through this journey of life and brought me safely back home. My work is done my message delivered. My journey was long and hard. But through my journey of life my father continued to prepare me for this final stage.
I’m glad to be meeting the one who has always been right beside me. Thank you Benjamin your message of hope, a light has gone from this world
Rest in internal peace 🙏🏿