Amiri Baraka

One of the most famous African American poets and activist is Amiri Baraka. Baraka was featured in the documentary of Charles Olson, Polis is This; in it he praised Olsen for his works of literature. Amiri is considered an inspiration to not only people of African American descent but also to people of all races. In the Poem I wrote I wanted to write about the same topic that Baraka was said to have continuously emphasized throughout his poems and essays, which is the advocating of black culture and political power. It seemed fitting that I should write a poem.

I researched Amiri Baraka for a long time before I chose to do the poem. Almost every website I visited had a similar fact about Baraka that continued to appear. His work with the African American communities is extensive. This is his work and it’s obvious that he is very passionate about it; his poems are important but they’re only a part of what he does. Amiri Baraka is a teacher, activist, poet and much more. To create my poem I focused more on his activism and his avocation for equality.

Poem:

War Cry


When we step out,
It means war,
Held down or back,
Never mind,
Just to be held from something,
That’s all it takes,
Ticks me off,
What needs to be said,
Will be herd,
What needs to be acted out,
Will be seen,
The ears are friendlier than the eyes,
But in this case it takes two,
Hands,
Hundreds maybe Thousands,
Edwin Starr would be proud,
War Without Weapons,
Make our mark not scar,
Good God Y’all,
For the Oppressed and Oppressors,
Victory is only a day away,
But for now,
My eyes have only begun to water.