I'm trying to make the poems as musical as I can - from the inception. So that whether they're read on the page, or people read them aloud, or I read them aloud, the musicality will be kind of a given. Amiri Baraka aloudinceptionkind share on social
I came to my Marxist view as a result of having struggled as a nationalist and found certain dead ends theoretically and ideologically, as far as nationalism was concerned, and had to reach out for a communist ideology. Amiri Baraka communistconcerndead share on social
The black artist's role in America is to aid in the destruction of America as he knows it. Amiri Baraka aidamericaartist Change image and share on social
'Griot' is a French word which means, you know, really, literally, 'cry.' You know, like the town crier. You know, they come in and say, you know, 'It's nine o'clock; everything is cool.' You know, 'President Bush is a fool.' I mean, stuff like that just to tell you. But for the kind of, the African thing is called djali. Amiri Baraka africanbushcall share on social
The poet is someone, I think, who's interested in registering experience immediately or giving you the sense of immediacy and directness. Amiri Baraka directnessexperiencegive Change image and share on social
The major poets of New Jersey have all suffered, whether it's Whitman, who lost his job for 'Leaves of Grass,' or William Carlos Williams, who was called a communist, or Ginsberg, whose 'Howl' was prosecuted, or myself. If you practise poetry the way I think it needs to be done, you're going to put yourself in jeopardy. Amiri Baraka callcarlocommunist share on social
You have to start with slavery because those abuses have never been eradicated. You know, people are not living in slums because they voted to. You know, their children are not in jail because they wanted them to. You know, these are the results of a people who have been oppressed and suffer national oppression, you know. Amiri Baraka abusechilderadicate share on social
Jimmy Baldwin was not only a writer, an international literary figure: he was a man, spirit, voice - old and black and terrible as that first ancestor. Amiri Baraka ancestorbaldwinblack Change image and share on social
You can't be an American without being related to other Americans. Amiri Baraka americanrelate Change image and share on social
Thought is more important than art. To revere art and have no understanding of the process that forces it into existence, is finally not even to understand what art is. Amiri Baraka artexistencefinally Change image and share on social