One of my favorite poets is Paul L Dunbar.
He wrote eloquently in standard English but was also gifted
to write in the dialect of the Deep Deep South.

My favorite poem of the latter type is An Ante-Bellum Sermon

Brother915 is a very talented poet.
If you have not read any of his writings...you should.
His poetry is indeed comfort for the soul.
It is beautiful.

soulpower said:

figures you'd throw some 9/11 conspiracy bullshit into every thread. in fact, i'd bet you only started this thread to mention this name. good thinking to make it #2, so as not to be so painfully transparent.

You need to stop taking shots at soulpowers threads...damn can we all be nice to one another for atleast a 24 hour time span.
[This message was edited Mon Nov 18 20:12:51 PST 2002 by MostBeautifulGrlNTheWorld]

MostBeautifulGrlNTheWorld said:

fuck you AND soulpower.

does that answer your question?

AaronForever said:

NO fuck you and the horse you rode in on...

AaronForever said:

Whether or not ppl take issue with Amiri Baraka because of his poem on 9/11, long before THAT he was already established as a well respected poet for being one of the architects of the black arts movement of the 1960s that paralleled the beatnik movement.

Looking at soulpower's other selections (Giovanni, Scot-Heron, and the Last Poets) it is very likely that Baraka was chosen for his work in the 60s.

It always trips me out that people feel like someone just got their start when THEY first hear about the person. Man Baraka was writing award winning poems and plays long before you was born. That 9/11 poem is a footnote in his bio, albeit a controversial one, but merely a footnote nonetheless.
.
[This message was edited Mon Nov 18 22:12:55 PST 2002 by NuPwrSoul]

AaronForever said:

Now you have REALLY proven that its YOU who is paranoid and always looking for conspiracy... In fact, as NuPwrSoul has pointed out correctly, I have chosen Leroi for his work of the mid-60s to mid-70s. Actually the work that first turned me on to him was his book "Blues People", which he wrote in 1959.
Go back to your dorm, kid, and work on that paranoia.
You kinda remind me of McCarthy... always hunting the ones who think different, looking for a hidden message in everything they say... but you simply are to ignorant to get it right.And btw, McCarthy is pretty much outdated!

How did this positive thread turn so negative?

Rhondab said:

because there always will be people who think negativity will feel the whole they feel within themselves. Dont let it get to you, Rhonda... smile at those people's faces because you know that positivity will always overcome its opponent.
Actually I am very surprised that this thread has stayed kinda moderate.

James Baldwin.

The man, born out of the "black church experience," also served as an indictment of that culture's struggle with agape love. All the while, he produced thought-provoking art that forced American society to confront its racist, sexist and homophobic tendencies.

And, it always read good, too.



One, Soulpower.

I am sooo glad nobody mentioned Alex Haley here... the biggest cheat in black literature!

mistermaxxx said:

Great call on Cornel West Mistermaxx!!! This brother ain't no joke. Brother's intellect is as deep as an ocean. His books makes for some great profound reading.

rdhull said:

Yes... Nathan McCall's Make Me Wanna Holler is one of my all-time favorite books. This book touched a lot of brothers when it first came out.

SensualMelody said:

Thanks SM...well at least I try.

My absolute favorite

Maya poem:

[This message was edited Wed Nov 20 12:38:49 PST 2002 by LaVisHh]

soulpower said:

Well, Roots aside, Haley did write Malcolm's Autobiography.

soulpower said:

uh huh



that's rich, coming from a German. is this where I throw a Nazi reference against your McCarthy reference?

NuPwrSoul said:

could be! but it's also very likely that he never heard of him until the 9/11 controversy.

This thread is funny.




Bless.




Fight The Power!

Since I was about 13 I loved the poetry of Benjamin Zephaniah, I think it was his usage of words and how he depicts life and other things. His poems are simple but raw. There are many many other poets that I could mention, but I would over kill this thread, so here is a taste of Benjamins work:

Bought and Sold


Smart big awards and prize money
Is killing off black poetry
It's not censors or dictators that are cutting up our art.
The lure of meeting royalty
And touching high society
Is damping creativity and eating at our heart.

The ancestors would turn in graves
Those poor black folk that once were slaves would wonder
How our souls were sold
And check our strategies,
The empire strikes back and waves
Tamed warriors bow on parades
When they have done what they've been told
They get their OBE's.

Don't take my word, go check the verse
Cause every laureate gets worse
A family that you cannot fault as muse will mess your mind,
And yeah, you may fatten your purse
And surely they will check you first when subjects need to be amused
With paid for prose and rhymes.

Take your prize, now write more,
Faster,
Fuck the truth
Now you're an actor do not fault your benefactor
Write, publish and review,
You look like a dreadlocks Rasta,
You look like a ghetto blaster,
But you can't diss your paymaster
And bite the hand that feeds you.

What happened to the verse of fire
Cursing cool the empire
What happened to the soul rebel that Marley had in mind,
This bloodstained, stolen empire rewards you and you conspire,
(Yes Marley said that time will tell)
Now look they've gone and joined.

We keep getting this beating
It's bad history repeating
It reminds me of those capitalists that say
'Look you have a choice,'
It's sick and self-defeating if our dispossessed keep weeping
And we give these awards meaning
But we end up with no voice.

---

Gil Scott Heron, WoW last time I saw him was at a gig in '92, man he was gone...Too many drugs...that's when the inspiration kicks in though

To name a few others:

Sonia Sanchez, Paul Dunbar, Nikki Giovanni, Claude McKay

Makes me want to start reading again...

bkk1981 said:

Why is this thread "funny"?

Either the United States will destroy ignorance or ignorance will destroy the United States.

W.E.B Du Bois

"Touched by An Angel"
by: Maya Angelou

We, unaccustomed to courage
exiles from delight
live coiled in shells of loneliness
until love leaves its high holy temple
and comes into our sight
to liberate us into life.

Love arrives
and in its train come ecstasies
old memories of pleasure
ancient histories of pain.
Yet if we are bold,
love strikes away the chains of fear
from our souls.

We are weaned from our timidity
In the flush of love's light
we dare be brave
And suddenly we see
that love costs all we are
and will ever be.
Yet it is only love
which sets us free.

AaronForever said:

Naaah, sorry Aaron. His other selections (Nikki Giovanni, the Last Poets, Gil Scot-Heron, etc.) are all from the same 1960s black arts movement. That's the context. Not 9/11.

A Dedication - from a Black poet and deep Thinker.
The darkness of darkness - gives visdom and joy.
Its the only way 2 learn how 2 fly - 4 real.


De Gule Gledes Drepere

De vakreste tanker er purpur OMTANKE,
som lett lar seg drepe av gul MISSTANKE.
Fra Dem der især, der har ett utakknemlig HJERTE.
De gjør - Uselvisk purpur OMTANKE - til blå SMERTE.
De står der alene - som utente lys med sin SJARME.
De sprer ingen GLEDE, ei noen VARME.

DE ER LYS UTEN VEKE.



SAHAR 1992. (in Norwegian)

NuPwrSoul said:

I'm agreeing with you. But my point is that it just so happens that he fits into another context (the 9/11 one) and that that particular context (9/11, the US and Iraq, terrorism conspiracies, etc.) is one that he's ranting and raving about here 7 days a week. I don't think it's a coincidence.

soulpower said:

Meaning?

AaronForever said:

You are a funny dude, Aaron! You are limiting Leroi Jones to his work after 9/11, how narrowminded. Also, that one he wrote as Amiri Biraka, a name he took in the late 60s. If you read my post, I have actually mentioned his original name Leroi Jones first, a true indication that I was refering to his earlier work. But since you lack an analytic mind, I'll let that one go.
You dont believe in coincidence you said? well, when we debated about 9/11 you were excusing it with a long list of many coincidences which allowed the attacks to happen. And now you dont believe in coincidences? You are as full of hypocracy as shit, Aaron!

Supernova said:

If you dig into the history of the making of roots, you will find out that the whole story is made up, while Alex (who is known to be one greedy mofo) was selling it as somewhat autobiographical. He pretended to have written about his own family line.