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Books
by Ras Baraka
Black Girls Learn Lover Hard /
In the Tradition: An Anthology of Young Black Writers
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A Poet Grieves for His
Sister
poem from
Black Girls Learn Love Hard
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#4
By Ras Baraka
Shani played a mean game of b-ball
She danced up and down the court
Swift moves to the basket
Teardrops kissing the bottom of
the net
The ball rotated off her fingers
and curved
through the oohs and aahs
of disbelief
You could hear it smack against
the cotton
And she jumped on defense just as
quick
They knew her name
The way she shadowed you to the
basket
Got in your way
Made it difficult
Her size never a factor
She played like a giant
And smiled on her way home
Yeah my sister had a mean game of
b-ball
Huh—she
still does!
Source:
Black Girls Learn Love Hard |
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Ras Baraka Bio
Growing up in Newark, NJ, Baraka says,
"What I write about I have witnessed. I always knew Black
Girls loved hard because they are triply oppressed because of
their gender, their nationality, and their class." As the
son of revered poet-activists Amina and Imamu Amiri Baraka,
activism and art have always been synonymous. "Poetry and
art is culture," says Baraka. "Art is activism. There
is no division for me with art and politics."
A graduate of Howard University, Baraka
received his degree in political science and history in 1991.
While a student he formed Black Nia F.O.R.C.E. (Freedom
Organization for Racial and Cultural Enlightenment) - a student
group at the forefront of campus political and social activism.
Baraka served as Assistant Youth Coordinator for the Commission
for Racial Justice, and traveled with G.E.T.B.U.S.Y. —a tour
of rappers and political activists who lectured at jails and
schools around the country.
In his junior year, Baraka successfully led
the 1989 historic student protest to remove Lee Atwater,
Chairman of the Republican National Committee, from the
university’s Board of Trustees. The following year, Baraka was
elected as Vice President of the Howard University Student
Government.
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Baraka ran for Newark's Mayoral position in 1994, garnering nine
percent of the vote—a significant task for the then 24 year old. In 1998, he
ran for Newark Councilman-at-Large and won the general election, but missed
in the run off election. In 2002, once again he ran for Councilman-at-Large
impressingly marshalling over 13,000 votes but again missing in the run-off.
His political leverage did not go unnoticed. On September 27, 2002, Ras was
sworn in to serve as Deputy Mayor for Newark Mayor, The Honorable Sharpe
James until October 31, 2005. On, November 2, Ras was voted by Newark’s
Municipal Council to serve out the remaining Councilman-at-large seat
vacated by the death of Councilman Donald K. Tucker.
photo
left: Ras Baraka and Barack Obama |
It is no surprise this vice principal of Weequahic High
School in Newark has been such an active participant in the politics and
culture of his native New Jersey.
As an artist, Baraka independently released his debut spoken word
CD, Shorty for Mayor, with the acclaimed single "Hot
Beverage in the Winter" featuring Grammy award winning
artist Lauryn Hill. Baraka also edited
In the Tradition with
Kevin Powell, and anthology of young Black poets and writers
(1991). He recently appeared on Russell Simmons’ Def Poetry on
HBO, and is currently working on his second book of essays and
poem.
more on RasBaraka
How Ras Baraka Beat Oscar S. James II for [South Ward
Councilman]—Wednesday, May 12, 2010—James was
defeated by Ras Baraka, the man that James replaced four years ago.
New Jersey
posted 3 March 2006
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City of Newark 2010 Inauguration—Part 7—Ras Baraka
Speech
On
Thursday, July 1, 2010, the City of Newark inaugurated
the Mayor and Municipal Council to new four-year terms.
"American Poem" Ras
Baraka (Def Poetry) /
Lauryn Hill and Ras
Baraka—Hot Beverage In Winter
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Justice, Not Drama, for Trayvon Martin
(Margaret Kimberley)
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Evidence Of A Police Cover-Up
(Lawrence O"Donnell)
Lawrence O'Donnell Interviews Norton Bonaparte, Jr.
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Trayvon's Persons at New York Rally
Three men plead guilty to federal hate crimes in
Mississippi killing /
Jonathan Turley explains the danger of Florida’s
‘Stand Your Ground’ law
Obama Speaks On Trayvon Martin /
Castle Doctrine: Bo Morrison Murdered (Ed Show)
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Sister Citizen: Shame, Stereotypes, and Black Women in
America
By Melissa V.
Harris-Perry
According to the
author, this society has historically exerted
considerable pressure on black females to fit into one
of a handful of stereotypes, primarily, the Mammy, the
Matriarch or the Jezebel. The selfless
Mammy’s behavior is marked by a slavish devotion to
white folks’ domestic concerns, often at the expense of
those of her own family’s needs. By contrast, the
relatively-hedonistic Jezebel is a sexually-insatiable
temptress. And the Matriarch is generally thought of as
an emasculating figure who denigrates black men, ala the
characters Sapphire and Aunt Esther on the television
shows Amos and Andy and Sanford and Son, respectively.
Professor Perry
points out how the propagation of these harmful myths
have served the mainstream culture well. For instance,
the Mammy suggests that it is almost second nature for
black females to feel a maternal instinct towards
Caucasian babies.
As for the source
of the Jezebel, black women had no control over their
own bodies during slavery given that they were being
auctioned off and bred to maximize profits. Nonetheless,
it was in the interest of plantation owners to propagate
the lie that sisters were sluts inclined to mate
indiscriminately.
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A Wreath for Emmett Till
By Marilyn Nelson; Illustrated by
Philippe Lardy
This memorial to
the lynched teen is in the Homeric
tradition of poet-as-historian. It is a
heroic crown of sonnets in Petrarchan
rhyme scheme and, as such, is quite
formal not only in form but in language.
There are 15 poems in the cycle, the
last line of one being the first line of
the next, and each of the first lines
makes up the entirety of the 15th. This
chosen formality brings distance and
reflection to readers, but also calls
attention to the horrifically ugly
events. The language is highly
figurative in one sonnet, cruelly
graphic in the next. The illustrations
echo the representative nature of the
poetry, using images from nature and
taking advantage of the emotional
quality of color. There is an
introduction by the author, a page about
Emmett Till, and literary and poetical
footnotes to the sonnets. The artist
also gives detailed reasoning behind his
choices. This underpinning information
makes this a full experience, eminently
teachable from several aspects,
including historical and literary—School
Library Journal |
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The White Masters of the
World
From
The World and Africa, 1965
By W. E. B. Du Bois
W. E. B. Du Bois’
Arraignment and Indictment of White Civilization
(Fletcher)
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Ancient African Nations
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If you like this page consider making a donation
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Negro Digest /
Black World
Browse all issues
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____ 2005
Enjoy!
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The Death of Emmett Till by Bob Dylan
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The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll
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Only a Pawn in Their Game
Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson Thanks America for
Slavery /
George Jackson /
Hurricane Carter
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The Journal of Negro History issues at Project Gutenberg
The
Haitian Declaration of Independence 1804
/
January 1, 1804 -- The Founding of
Haiti
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