poetic BIRTHDAY

AMIRI BARAKA was born Everett LeRoi Jones on this day in Newark, New Jersey. He was a poet, writer, teacher, and political activist.


His first book of poems "Preface to a Twenty Volume Suicide Note,"  was published in 1961.


He was the author of numerous books of poetry during his writing career which spanned nearly 50 years. His themes ranged form Black liberation to White racism.


Baraka's poetry and writing has attracted both extreme praise and condemnation.

In July 2002, Baraka was named Poet Laureate of New Jersey.

Amiri Baraka died in 2014. He is recognized as one of the most respected and widely published Black writers of his generation.


To read his life and times, and sample his poetry and writings GOOGLE his name.

POETIC BIRTHDAY

A REMEMBRANCE CELEBRATION FOR APRIL'S POETIC  BIRTHDAYS




4/3/1826 - JAMES MADISON BELL - 1826 - 1902

4/4/1928 -MAYA ANGELOU -1928-2014






For a bio, and sampling of their verse, Google-search their names.

BLACK POETS REMEMBRANCE DAY

MARGARET WALKER - Poet         1915-1998
 In 1942 her poetry collection For My People won the Yale Series of Younger Poets Competition making her the first Black woman to receive a national writing prize.

LUCILLE CLIFTON - Poet                1936-2010
In 1988 she became the first poet to have two books of poetry named finalists for one year's Pulitzer Prize.

JUNE JORDAN - Poet                        1936-2002
While a Professor in the College of English at the University Of California Berkeley, she was known as the "Poet of the People"

BLACK POETS REMEMBRANCE DAY

JUPITER HAMMON   1711-1806 - Poet

One of the founders of Black Literature. The first Black writer to be published in America.

GWENDOLYN BROOKS   1917-2000 - Poet

The first Black poet to win the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry (1950)

MAYA ANGELOU      1928-2014 - Poet

In 1993, Angelou recited her poem, "On The Pulse of Morning, " at the inauguration of President Bill Clinton, becoming the first poet to recite a poem at a presidential inauguration in 32 years.

GIL SCOTT-HERON    1949-2011 - Poet (Bluesologist)

His poetic style has influenced every generation of hip-hop artists.  

WOMAN OF A DARKER HUE

I CRY TO THINK
IT WAS 
YOU
WOMAN OF A DARKER HUE
WHO SUFFERED MOST
FROM MY LOSS
OF MANHOOD
YOU
WHOSE BODY BORE
THE PAIN OF RAPE
WHOSE SCARS
NEVER HEALED
WHOSE SCARS
REAPED THE HATRED
OF A RACE
I CRY TO THINK
IT WAS
YOU
WOMAN OF A DARKER HUE
WHO ENDURED
OUR LOSS OF MANHOOD
OUR MASCULINITY EMERGING
TOO LATE TO SPARE YOUR PAIN 
TO WIPE YOUR
TEAR-STAINED FACE