The Black Arts Movement
 Began in the 1960’s
 Influenced by the social and political turmoil of
racism
 Stemmed from the Civil Rights Movement
 Artists created work that aimed to explore
African American culture and experience
 The Black Arts Movement (BAM) gave African
Americans a voice in literary world which had
previously dominated by white culture.
 Encouraged African Americans to create their
own magazines, publishing houses, and journals.
 Universities began to adapt African American
studies programs.
 Black Arts Movement sought to change how blacks
were represented and portrayed in literature and the
arts.
 The Black Arts Movement was anchored in political
change and the concept that the artist is a part of his
or her community and their work should speak to the
needs and aspirations of that community
 Considered the father of The Black Arts Movement
 Poet, playwright, activist and lecturer Baraka
influenced later poets to write from the
contemporary African American experience.
 His writings, which deal with the black experience,
express the anger of black Americans and promote
black culture with an intense devotion.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cOSMGzdZf8
 Born in Topeka, Kansas
 Encountered racial prejudice throughout her schooling
 Published her first poem at the age of 13
 Became the first African American to win the Pulitzer
Prize for poetry
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3kF6MGBjzk
References
Poets.org. Academy of American Poets, 1995. Web. 10
June 2012.