Black Arts
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The Black Arts' origins are traced back to the late 1950s-1960s to the Black Power and Civil Rights Movements. Amiri Baraka ( Everett LeRoi Jones) of Harlem sparked the movement . The movement inspired African-Americans to start their own media institutions such as magazines, journals, newspapers, and art collections. The movement went against other African-Americans that assimilated to the culture that was already in place. The movement is said to have elevated to new hieghts by the murder of human rights activist and Nation of Islam member Malcolm X in 1965. These poets wanted to break free from the white power structure and set foot a cultural identity for blacks all across America.
"Wise I" BY Amiri Baraka
Poem Analysis
At the beginning of the poem Baraka talks about African-Americans being surrounded or alienated by the "enemies" in America. By "enemies" he most likely meant people of the White race. When Baraka says, " enemies who won't let you speak in your own language who destroy your statues and instruments" it is apparent that when he says "who won't let you" he is trying to say that it is whites who discriminate against them and say that doing what his race does is inferior to what the White race does. By doing this, African Americans would feel out of place, offended, or inferior. Baraka most likely feels offended by this and has great rancor towards the White race. By "who won't let you" he might have also meant that his race can't live in peace without someone discriminating. It could also refer to assimilation efforts of slaves from Whites in the past. By "deep trouble" he may mean to tell fellow African American community members that once the Whites take away their customs and traditions to not assimilate or to rebel in order to help the African roots stay and not to get lost in space. |
Literary Devices
Allusion- Bakara uses allusion by talking about Whites suppressing Africans and African-American culture in the United States. This took place for during the Black Arts Movement's duration and centuries before that. Alliteration- the letter "b" is repeated in two phrases twice within the poem |