Lannan Foundation

Amiri Baraka, (née Everett LeRoi Jones) author of over 40 books of essays, poems, drama, and music history and criticism, is a poet icon and revolutionary political activist who has recited poetry and lectured on cultural and political issues extensively in the USA, the Caribbean, Africa, and Europe. With influences on his work ranging from musical artists such as John Coltrane and Thelonius Monk, to the Cuban Revolution, Malcolm X, and world revolutionary movements, Baraka is renowned as the founder of the Black Arts Movement in Harlem in the 1960s. His recent books include Somebody Blew Up America and Other Poems and Tales of the Out & The Gone.

Amiri Baraka Bio and Cross Links

Marvin X (née Marvin Ellis Jackmon) is a poet, playwright, essayist, director, and lecturer. Under the influence of Elijah Muhammad, he became a Black Muslim and has published since then under the names El Muhajir and Marvin X. His recent books include Land of My Daughters: Poems, and Wish I Could Tell You the Truth: Essays.

Marvin X Bio and Cross Links