Amiri Baraka

Date of Birth: October 7, 1934

Zodiac Sign: Libra

Date of Death: January 9, 2014

Biography

Amiri Baraka, originally named Everett LeRoi Jones, was a prolific American poet, playwright, and cultural critic whose work played a critical role in the Black Arts Movement. Born on October 7, 1934, in Newark, New Jersey, Baraka’s career spanned over five decades and was marked by his outspoken views on race, politics, and culture. He attended Rutgers University but later transferred to Howard University, where he earned a degree in English. Initially associated with the Beat Generation, Baraka’s early works reflected the bohemian lifestyle and experimental forms of the Beats. However, after the assassination of Malcolm X in 1965, Baraka’s work took a radical turn, and he became a vocal advocate for Black nationalism and cultural separatism. Baraka’s poetry, plays, and essays were known for their sharp critiques of American society and their call for a revolution in the arts. His notable works include the poetry collection “Preface to a Twenty Volume Suicide Note” (1961) and the play “Dutchman” (1964), which won an Obie Award and remains a seminal work in American theater. Over his lifetime, Baraka received numerous awards and honors, including a PEN Open Book Award and the Langston Hughes Medal. Baraka was a controversial figure, often criticized for his incendiary rhetoric and polarizing views. Despite this, his influence on American literature and the Black Arts Movement is undeniable. He passed away on January 9, 2014, at the age of 79.

5 Interesting Facts about Amiri Baraka

1. Amiri Baraka was born Everett LeRoi Jones but changed his name in 1967 after converting to Islam.

2. He was a central figure in the Black Arts Movement, a cultural movement that sought to create a distinctive Black voice in the arts.

3. Baraka served as the Poet Laureate of New Jersey from 2002 to 2003, a position he lost following controversy over his poem “Somebody Blew Up America.”

4. He was married twice, first to Hettie Cohen, with whom he had two children, and then to Amina Baraka, with whom he had five children.

5. Baraka’s work spanned multiple genres, including poetry, drama, fiction, and music criticism, reflecting his multifaceted talent and intellectual breadth.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Amiri Baraka

1. “We want ‘poems that kill.’ Assassin poems, poems that shoot guns. Poems that wrestle cops into alleys and take their weapons leaving them dead with tongues pulled out and sent to Ireland.”

2. “Art is a weapon in the struggle of ideas, the class struggle, and the struggle for liberation.”

3. “You can’t be an American without being anti-America.”

4. “The further jazz develops, the more it is apparent that it is the product of Negroes. Its beginnings are humble, its growth slow and laborious. But its roots are strong, its trunk straight.”

5. “The artist’s role is to raise the consciousness of the people. To make them understand life, the world, and themselves more completely.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

Amiri Baraka’s highest net worth was estimated to be around $1 million.

Children

Amiri Baraka had seven children. With his first wife, Hettie Cohen, he had two daughters, Kellie Jones and Lisa Jones. With his second wife, Amina Baraka, he had five children: Ras J. Baraka, Shani Baraka, Amiri Baraka Jr., Obalaji Baraka, and Ahi Baraka.