SOS-Calling All Black People: A Black Arts Movement Reader

by John H. Bracey, Sonia Sanchez, James Smethurst

Overview

This volume brings together a broad range of key writings from the Black Arts Movement of the 1960s and 1970s, among the most significant cultural movements in American history. The aesthetic counterpart of the Black Power movement, it burst onto the scene in the form of artists' circles, writers' workshops, drama groups, dance troupes, new publishing ventures, bookstores, and cultural centers and had a presence in practically every community and college campus with an appreciable African American population. Black Arts activists extended its reach even further through magazines such as Ebony and Jet, on television shows such as Soul! and Like It Is, and on radio programs.

Many of the movement's leading artists, including Ed Bullins, Nikki Giovanni, Woodie King, Haki Madhubuti, Sonia Sanchez, Askia Touré, and Val Gray Ward remain artistically productive today. Its influence can also be seen in the work of later artists, from the writers Toni Morrison, John Edgar Wideman, and August Wilson to actors Avery Brooks, Danny Glover, and Samuel L. Jackson, to hip hop artists Mos Def, Talib Kweli, and Chuck D.

SOS—Calling All Black People includes works of fiction, poetry, and drama in addition to critical writings on issues of politics, aesthetics, and gender. It covers topics ranging from the legacy of Malcolm X and the impact of John Coltrane's jazz to the tenets of the Black Panther Party and the music of Motown. The editors have provided a substantial introduction outlining the nature, history, and legacy of the Black Arts Movement as well as the principles by which the anthology was assembled.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781625340313
Publisher:	University of Massachusetts Press
Publication date:	09/04/2014
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	688
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 1.70(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

John H. Bracey Jr. is professor of Afro-American studies at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Sonia Sanchez, poet and playwright, is professor emerita of English at Temple University. James Smethurst is professor of Afro-American studies at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.For a presentation on their book, please see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bx43Zjidzfc

Table of Contents

Editors' Introduction 1

Amiri BarakaThe Black Arts Movement 11

Section I. Theory / CriticismA. B. SpellmanIntroduction to Theory / Criticism 23

Askia M. TouréPoetry and Black Liberation: Freedom's Furious Passions(Reminiscence) 25

Eugene B. RedmondDa-Dum-Dun: A Bam Triumvirate of Conch/Us/Nest:

Miles Davis, Henry Dumas & Katherine Dunham in East St. Louis, Illinois (Reminiscence) 31

1. Politics and CultureHarold CruseThe Harlem Black Arts Theater -- New Dialogue with the Lost Black Generation 39

Carolyn GeraldSymposium: The Measure and the Meaning of Sixties 46

Ron (Maulana) KarengaBlack Cultural Nationalism 51

Larry NealThe Black Arts Movement 55

Dudley RandallBroadside Press: A Personal Chronicle 67

Ed SpriggsOn The Boycott 74

James T. StewartThe Development Of The Black Revolutionary Artist 77

Barbara Ann TeerNeeded: A New Image 82

Rolland Snellings (Askia Touré)Keep on Pushin': Rhythm & Blues as a Weapon 86

2. GenderToni Cade (Bambara)Preface to The Black Woman 93

Alice Childress, Paule Marshall, And Sarah E. WrightThe Negro Woman in American Literature 97

John Oliver KillensLorraine Hansberry: On Time! 103

Abbey LincolnWho Will Revere the Black Woman? 106

Louise MooreBlack Men vs. Black Women 110

Evelyn RodgersNew Fashions for Afro-American Women 112

Sonia SanchezQueens of the Universe 114

3. Aesthetics / PoeticsLeroi Jones (Amiri Baraka)The Changing Same (R&B and New Black Music) 123

James BaldwinIf Black Isn't a Language, Then Tell Me, What Is? 132

L. Eldridge CleaverAs Crinkly as Yours 135

Sarah Webster FabioTripping with Black Writing 145

Hoyt W. FullerTowards a Black Aesthetic 151

Addison Gayle Jr.Cultural Strangulation: Black Literature and the White Aesthetic 157

Stephen E. HendersonThe Question of Form and Judgment in Contemporary Black American Poetry: 1962--1977 162

David LlorensWhat Good Is the Word without the Wisdom? or "English Ain't Relevant" 179

Max Roachexcerpts from Black World interview 185

Carolyn M. RodgersBlack Poetry -- Where It's At 188

Section II. Statements of Purpose: Groups and JournalsIntroduction to the Documents 201

The Asian-African Conference, Final Communique: Cultural Cooperation 203

Black Panther Party, Platform and Program 205

Black World, Editor's Notes 207

SUDAN, the history of SUDAN (in Texas?) 208

The Institute of the Black World, Statement of Purpose and Program 210

Liberation Committee for Africa, Statement of Aims and What Africa

Means to Americans 213

NKOMBO, Food for Thought 215

Elijah Muhammad, "What Do the Muslims Want?" 218

Organization of Afro-American Unity, Statement of Basic Aims and

Objectives: Culture 220

OBAC [Organization of Black American Culture],

Statement of Purposes 221

Rhythm, Statement of Purpose 222

Soulbook, To the Peoples of Afroamerica, Africa, and to all the Peoples of the World 223

Southern Black Cultural Alliance, By-Laws 225

Third World Press, A Statement of Purpose 227

Max Stanford (Muhammad Ahmad), Towards Revolutionary Action Movement Manifesto 228

Umbra, Foreword to Issue 1.1 232

Larry Neal [Atlanta C.A.P. Creativity Workshop], Resolutions 234

Section III. PoetrySonia SanchezThe Poetry of BAM: Meditation, Critique, Praise 243

Haki MadhubutiStorm Coming: Memoir and History (Reminiscence) 254

1. ConsciousnessJewel C. Latimore (Johari Amini)Upon Being Black One Friday Night in July 265

Dr. Margaret BurroughsWhat Shall We Tell My Children Who Are Black 267

Leroi Jones (Amiri Baraka) Black People! 269

Gwendolyn BrooksThe Life of Lincoln West 270

Mari EvansBlack jam for dr. negro 274

Joe GoncalvesSister Brother 276

Bobb HamiltonA Father Tells His Son About the Statue of Liberty 277

Calvin C. HerntonJitterbugging in the Streets 279

Gil Scott-HeronThe Revolution Will Not Be Televised 283

Abiodun Oyewole and Umar Bin Hassan With Kim GreenNiggers R Scared of Revolution 286

Don L. Lee (Haki Madhubuti)But He Was Cool 289

Gaston NealPersonal Jihad 291

Eugene RedmondBarbequed Cong: Or We Laid My Lai Low 293

Carolyn M. Rodgershow i got ovah 295

Sonia Sanchezsummary 296

A. B. Spellmantomorrow the heroes 298

Edward S. Spriggs"Black Power!" 299

Lorenzo ThomasTwelve Gates 300

Rolland Snellings (Askia Touré)Cry Freedom 301

2. MalcolmOssie DavisEulogy for Malcolm X 309

Leroi Jones (Amiri Baraka)A Poem For Black Hearts 311

Gwendolyn BrooksMalcolm X 312

Etheridge KnightPortrait of Malcolm X 313

Marvin E. Jackmon (Marvin X)That Old Time Religion 314

Larry NealMalcolm X -- An Autobiography 315

Sonia SanchezMalcolm 317

Quincy TroupeFor Malcolm Who Walks in the Eyes of Our Children 319

Margaret WalkerFor Malcolm X 321

Jay WrightA Plea for the Politic Man 322

3. Coltrane and JazzJayne CortezHow Long Has This Trane Been Gone 327

Ebon DooleyLegacy: In Memory of 'Trane 330

Sarah Webster FabioTribute to Duke 332

David HendersonElvin Jones Gretsch Freak 336

Don L. Lee (Haki Madhubuti)Don't Cry, Scream 340

Amus MorThe Coming of John 344

Larry NealDon't Say Goodbye to the Pork-Pie Hat 349

Sterling PlumppConversions 353

Yusuf RahmanTranscendental Blues 355

Carolyn RodgersWritten for Love of an Ascension-Coltrane 359

Sonia Sancheza/coltrane/poem 361

Sonia Sanchezon seeing pharaoh sanders blowing 365

A. B. SpellmanDid John's Music Kill Him? 367

4. AfricaJayne CortezAfrican Night Suite 371

Margaret DannerThe Painted Lady 374

Nikki GiovanniAfrica I; Africa II 375Ted JoansLumumba Lives Lumumba Lives!! 377

Keorapetse KgositsileMy Name Is Afrika 378

Dudley RandallAncestors 379

Ishmael ReedI am a Cowboy in the Boat of Ra 380

Rolland Snellings (Askia Touré)Earth 382

5. WomenJewel C. Latimore (Johari Amini)For Gwendolyn Brooks -- A Whole & Beautiful Spirit 385

Mari EvansI Am A Black Woman 386

Nikki GiovanniWoman Poem 388

Gloria Larry HouseWoman 390

June JordanIf you saw a Negro lady 391

Audre LordeNaturally 393

K. Curtis LyleCadence 394

Don L. Lee (Haki Madhubuti)blackwoman 396

Carolyn RodgersThe Last M.F. 397

Sonia Sanchezwoman 398

6. HeritageSam CornishPromenade 401

Jayne CortezLynch Fragment 402

Victor Hernandez CruzUrban Dream 403

Tom DentReturn to English Turn 405

Everett HoaglandThe Music 411

Etheridge KnightThe Idea of Ancestry 413

Dudley RandallBallad of Birmingham 415

Eugene RedmondRivers of Bones and Flesh and Blood 417

Ahmos Zu-BoltonSunset Beach / L.A. 419

7. SongsJames BrownSay It Loud -- I'm Black and I'm Proud 423

Oscar Brown Jr.Afro Blue 424

Marvin GayeWhat's Goin' On 426

Curtis MayfieldKeep on Pushin' 427

Weldon J. Irvine Jr.To Be Young, Gifted, and Black 428

Norman Whitfield And Barrett StrongWar 429

Section IV. DramaVal Ward and Francis WardThe Kuumba Theatre: A Radical Idea Comes to Life (Reminiscence) 433

Aishah RahmanLiving in the Black Arts Movement (Reminiscence) 439

Leroi Jones (Amiri Baraka)A Black Mass 443

Ed BullinsClara's Ole Man 451

Ben CaldwellPrayer Meeting Or, The First Militant Preacher 465

Alice ChildressWine in the Wilderness 468

Carol FreemanThe Suicide 492

Marvin E. Jackmon (Marvin X)Flowers for the Trashman 496

Ronald MilnerThe Monster 507

Sonia SanchezThe Bronx Is Next 520

Section V. Fiction / NarrativeEleanor W. TraylorBlack Arts Fiction: An Introduction 529

Toni Cade BambaraThe Organizer's Wife 543

Henry DumasHarlem 554

C. H. Fuller Jr.A Love Song for Seven Little Boys Called; Sam 562

Sam GreenleeSonny's Seasons 569

Paule MarshallReena 574

Louise MeriwetherA Happening in Barbados 587

Toni Morrisonexcerpt from The Bluest Eye 594

Ishmael ReedCab Calloway Stands In for the Moon 605

Jean Wheeler SmithFrankie Mae 615

John A. WilliamsThe King Alfred Plan 624

AfterwordsJames G. SpadyThe Hip Hop Vision: Password: Nation Conscious Rap 637

John H. Bracey Jr.Coming from a Black Thing: Remembering the Black Arts Movement 650

Audre LordeLearning from the 60s 656

Selected Bibliography 663

What People are Saying About This

Arnold Rampersad

This book will add immeasurably to our ability to understand and teach a crucial aspect of modern African American and American literary history. Something crucial involving race and art overtook American culture in the 1960s and 1970s, and the nation would never be the same again -- a seismic shift that had everything to do with the political, cultural, and aesthetic impact of the confrontational Black Arts and Black Power movements.

Amy Abugo Ongiri

This book has the potential to be an amazing teaching and research tool and should appeal to a wide audience of scholars and academics across a variety of fields from sociology and literary studies, to Africana studies and history. The introduction alone provides an invaluable account of the cultural output, impact, and legacy of the Black Arts Movement for scholars and students.

Editorial Reviews

"This book will add immeasurably to our ability to understand and teach a crucial aspect of modern African American and American literary history. Something crucial involving race and art overtook American culture in the 1960s and 1970s, and the nation would never be the same again—a seismic shift that had everything to do with the political, cultural, and aesthetic impact of the confrontational Black Arts and Black Power movements."—Arnold Rampersad, author of Ralph Ellison: A Biography

"This book has the potential to be an amazing teaching and research tool and should appeal to a wide audience of scholars and academics across a variety of fields from sociology and literary studies, to Africana studies and history. The introduction alone provides an invaluable account of the cultural output, impact, and legacy of the Black Arts Movement for scholars and students."—Amy Abugo Ongiri, author of Spectacular Blackness: The Cultural Politics of the Black Power Movement and the Search for a Black Aesthetic

From the Publisher