My family came to Newark in the '20s. We've been there a long, long time. My father's name was LeRoi, the French-ified aspect of it, because his first name was Coyette, you see. They come from South Carolina. Amiri Baraka 20saspectcarolina share on social
I guess I was the most unbohemian of all bohemians. My bohemianism consisted of not wanting to get involved with the stupid stuff that I thought people wanted you to get involved with - ... namely America... Dwight Eisenhower, McCarthyism and all those great things. Amiri Baraka americabohemianbohemianism share on social
When I was saying, 'White people go to hell,' I never had trouble finding a publisher. But when I say, 'Black and white unite and fight, destroy capitalism,' then you suddenly become unreasonable. Amiri Baraka blackcapitalismdestroy Change image and share on social
There will be, and should be, reams and reams of analysis, even praise, for our friend but also even larger measures of non-analysis and, certainly, condemnation for James Baldwin, the Negro writer. Amiri Baraka analysisbaldwincondemnation Change image and share on social
It seems natural to me that as a writer, you should have some kind of, you know, there should be some kind of projection that you actually have influenced people who are closest to you. Amiri Baraka closeinfluencekind Change image and share on social
The artist's role is to raise the consciousness of the people. To make them understand life, the world and themselves more completely. That's how I see it. Otherwise, I don't know why you do it. Amiri Baraka artistcompletelyconsciousness Change image and share on social
To name something is to wait for it in the place you think it will pass. Amiri Baraka pasplacewait Change image and share on social
If the flag of an armed enemy of the U.S. is allowed to fly over government buildings, then it implies that slavery, or at least the threat of slavery, is sanctioned by that government and can still legally exist. Amiri Baraka allowarmbuilding share on social
Mao Zedong was a revolutionary. He made a revolution. Amiri Baraka makemaorevolution Change image and share on social
Jimmy Baldwin was the creator of contemporary American speech even before Americans could dig that. He created it so we could speak to each other at unimaginable intensities of feeling, so we could make sense to each other at yet higher and higher tempos. Amiri Baraka americanbaldwincontemporary share on social
