Presenter: Phyllis M. Alexander

Respondent: Michelle Glenn

by Amiri Baraka

(Unsettling America, 155-6)

Biographical Information: Amiri Baraka was originally named Everett LeRoi Jones. He changed his name first in the late sixties and later altered it to his present name. He was born to a middle class family, earned a scholarship to Rutgers University and later transferred to Howard University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in 1954. After three years in the Air Force, he settled in New York City’s Greenwich Village, where he made friends with several well known Beat generation poets, a small group of writers including Allen Ginsberg and William S. Burroughs. Baraka and his first wife, Hettie Cohen, founded Yugen, an influential Beat literary journal. He went on to write two notable plays, Dutchman and The Slave, dealing with racism’s degenerative effects. Baraka was also influential in the Black Arts Movement ( BAM) and founded the Black Arts Repertory Theater in 1964. However, in the early 60s, Baraka began to distance himself from the Beats and white culture in general, and after the death of Malcolm X he turned his back on the white world entirely. He divorced his wife, who was white, changed his name and became a Black Nationalist. He moved to Harlem and began creating black culture through art. In the 70s, he became more political, participated in the Black Panther Party for Self Defense, founded the Congress of African People and organized the Black National Political Convention in 1972. By 1974, he’d left the Black Nationalist movement to embrace Marxism and Leninism. Baraka is currently living in the place of his birth, Newark, and holds art, literature and music classes called Kimako Blues People in his basement free of charge when he is not lecturing at universities across the country.

• Objective 1 – Minority Concept: Involuntary participation.

"We have been captured, / brothers. And we labor…"

• Objective 3 – Contrast the American Dream: Factors in setbacks, the need to rise again and

a quest for group dignity.

"…We need magic / now we need the spells, to raise up / return, destroy, and create…"

• Free verse
• Metaphorical references

1. Ka ‘Ba – Sacredness of the Black man
2. Color – black, white, gray
3. Chains – symbol of oppression

• Themes

1. Celebration of the Black Culture
2. Admonition to destroy the image of slavery
3. Reinvention of Black culture

Question:

What is Baraka saying about the dominant culture in relation to the black experience?

There was an interesting discussion in class about the poem. Sylvia brought up the idea of voice and choice as it related to the poem from the perspective of the minority voice and choice issue. Two other objectives were addressed in the discussion. The idea of involuntary participation shows that the African American experience was not a history of immigration, but of capture and enslavement. Moreover, it changed the view of the American dream, which is also a course objective that was related to the poem, in that it highlighted the setbacks, the need to rise up and the quest for dignity as a group.

Michelle started a discussion of the visual images and sound in the poem. Vicki’s comment on the sparse and desolate image of winter was developed by Ambrest with the idea of winter being the dormant season before the spring, a time of rebirth. David introduced the idea that the poem is actually divided into two parts; the definition and description of what is happening presently and a call to action to change things in the future.

The discussion also touched on the tropes used in the poem’s construction. The metaphorical use of color and words evoked images of sacredness of the black culture. The harsh language produced an interesting tone of political activism, according to Sylvia. She also discussed the rhythm of the poem. And, finally, the themes of celebration of the black culture, a call to action in destroying the image of slavery, and a reinvention of the black culture were discussed. It was also noted that Baraka was himself ever changing, like the black culture in America evolving even to present.