The Hanging of Nat “King” Cole
One evening in the South,
a famous man walked into the light.
He sang as sweetly as he did on recordings.
Nat was a household name and prospered.
He was an accomplished musician
and the son of a preacher.
Quietly, slowly a man grabbed his foot…
Another seized his leg. A mob formed
at the front of the stage.
Nat fought to get away from them.
He jumped on a plane.
The press circled him like sharks.
Nat refused to press charges
and quietly said it was nothing.
That was his way in life.
He fought racism
through his art and work,
never meeting with full approval.
He died before Civil Rights became law.