Amiri Baraka was born Everett LeRoi Jones in Newark, New Jersey, on October 7, 1934. His father, Colt LeRoy Jones, was a postal supervisor; Anna Lois Jones, his mother, was a social worker. He attended Rutgers University for two years, then transferred to Howard University, where in 1954 he earned his BA in English. … [Read more...] about Saturday Open Thread: African American Playwrights
Amiri Baraka
Thursday Open Thread: The Black Arts Movement
Good Morning POU! It was the Black Arts Movement that galvanized a generation of young black writers into rethinking the purpose of African American art. Rejecting any notion of the artist that separated him or her from the African American community, the Black Arts movement engaged in cultural nation building by sponsoring poetry readings, founding community theatres, … [Read more...] about Thursday Open Thread: The Black Arts Movement
Wednesday Open Thread: The Black Arts Movement
Good Morning POU! The Black Arts movement (BAM) has often been called the "Second Black Renaissance," suggesting a comparison to the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s and '30s. The two are alike in encompassing literature, music, visual arts, and theater. Both movements emphasized racial pride, an appreciation of African heritage, and a commitment to produce works that … [Read more...] about Wednesday Open Thread: The Black Arts Movement
Tuesday Open Thread: The Black Arts Movement
Good Morning POU! “Sometimes referred to as ‘the artistic sister of the Black Power Movement,' the Black Arts Movement stands as the single most controversial moment in the history of African-American literature—possibly in American literature as a whole. Although it fundamentally changed American attitudes both toward the function and meaning of literature as well as … [Read more...] about Tuesday Open Thread: The Black Arts Movement