“A Compendium for Malcolm-Jamal Warner,” by Christopher D. Sims

August 6th, 2025

The poet reads his poem at its conclusion

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Sean Coon from Greensboro, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Malcolm-Jamal Warner

1970 – 2025

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Entry One: Langston’s Echo — alluding to poetic lineage

I hear Langston in
Your voice, brother,
Your choice to challenge
Systems of restraint, opposition,
shackles. Langston would have
been proud as you belted loud
the conditions of our people.

You too knew life ain’t no
crystal stair. The harsh air of
hard summers when it seems
Black blood is flowing through
communities continuously.

Brother you were beyond woke.
Clearly, is how you spoke.
Langston is following us,
followed you, ‘til you
shared the words
for our uhuru, our
freedom. Brilliant
Malcolm merging
music words superb.

Entry Two: Huxtable Reverberations — what it meant to be a steady Black son on national TV

You learned from Mr. Cosby.
A Black man’s moves, philosophies,
the psychology of a Black man’s mind.
No apologies from a Black man’s mind.

For Black men, we Black men, are divine.
It was time for us to learn, to listen, to position
Ourselves as fathers, as father figures, as
men in solid leadership. As Theo, you took
it all in. You let the lessons begin. We are in
your debt for showing us how to grow.
The flow between son and father is righteous,
is needed, is epic, is collective memory from
our African roots. You stayed rooted. You were a tree.

A Black son was what you were made to be,
a Black sun, too.

Entry Three: The Jazz Between the Lines — honoring your musicianship

Bass guitarist. Stardust and steady.
Steady with the medley, the melodies.
Melodies heavenly. Your excellency
helped you win a Grammy. Grio, djali,
you were solidly. Jamming man. Jamming
man. Getting down. You got down with the
sound. Soundscapes. String-picking. Thumping.
Vibing. Surviving through your music, you were.

Miles Long, and you were Miles ahead.

The band, you led. A leader. A sound
provider. Providing the right vibes.

Bass playing. Black sayings. Black
dedications with Black, soul sonic
vibrations. Continuations of the
music you found inside.

Inside the rhythm.

Inside the solar system.

Inside your visions.

Visualizing what good sound is.

Through your music, your words,
you live, give.

Listen to Christopher D. Sims read his poem

Click here to view Malcolm-Jamal Warner’s Wikipedia page

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Christopher D. Sims is a writer of poetry, a spoken word artist, and a human rights activist who uses words to inform. Born and raised on the west side of Rockford, Illinois, he has been writing since he was nine years old. A published poet, Christopher wrote a poetry and memoir collection entitled I was Born and Raised in The Rock in 2020. He is a fellow of the Intercultural Leadership Institute.

Watch a video of Malcolm-Jamal Warner reading his poem “Hiding in Plain View,” from his 2023 Grammy Award Nominated album of the same name.