Nationally renowned poet Amiri Baraka speaks at MU
Published Sept. 28, 2007
Jazz music piped through the speakers as a perfect precursor to an individual who cites jazz greats such as Ornette Coleman and Thelonious Monk as influences.
Amiri Baraka, the legendary — albeit controversial — poet, essayist, playwright, activist and founder of the 1960s Black Arts Movement, was met with a standing ovation Wednesday night at Jesse Auditorium.
The Department of Student Activities' Black Programming Committee, a component of the Missouri Students Association, sponsored the lecture.
"We want to bring people who can teach our African-American students more about ourselves," senior BPC Chairman Karma Johnson said. "There's also few people that are competent in theater, poetry and politics other than Amiri Baraka."
Black Studies Program Director Julius Thompson said he was excited for MU students to have the opportunity to hear from such a prominent writer.
"I think he offers a tremendous opportunity to help increase diversity of speakers among our students," Thompson said.
He also said he looked forward to the opportunity students would have to ask Baraka questions and use the lecture as a means to investigate issues of social, political and cultural importance.
Aliki Barnstone, a professor in the English department and published poet, said she thought the university was a fitting place for Baraka to speak because he would provide the students with intellectual stimulation.
"I think the university should be a place where students in particular are exposed to a lot of different ideas and perspectives," Barnstone said.
Baraka began his presentation with a lecture that touched upon a number of issues, the most prevalent being the state of black politics and student activism advocating the establishment of a national newspaper and an all-encompassing political governing body that would act on behalf of black America.
More than politics, though, Baraka spoke of a call to action for college students to understand their history and start dialogues and study circles. He urged students of all races to return to their hometowns and help those unable to help themselves, citing the example of his son, who became a high school principal in his hometown of Newark, N.J.
After the lecture, Baraka read a series of what he called "lowku," a play on the Japanese haiku that drew from black culture and jazz. Many of the lowku combined political commentary with humor.
Thompson said he hoped students would take advantage of his controversial nature to challenge themselves intellectually.
"I'm appreciative that our students sought to bring him to our campus," Thompson said. "I think he remains a challenge given his early history, his history since the 1960s and the Black Arts Movement, and I think he is an outstanding writer worthy of our consideration and our listening to him, yet also keeping a critical mind and being able to ask very important questions from the audience."
Among the topics addressed in the question and answer session were affirmative action in Missouri and the role of individuals who aren't black in the new civil rights movement.
Several of the questions dealt with literature and the arts. Baraka highlighted the shift of hip-hop from a vehicle for political and social change to its corporate takeover and accused artists such as 50 Cent of being "backward." He called for more independent records and venues.
"The money goes to the people who talk the stupidest," Baraka said.
He also implored the university to invite more diverse musical and cultural acts.
Baraka ended his presentation with his controversial poem "Somebody Blew Up America," a biting response to the Sept. 11 attacks. The poem cost him his position as poet laureate of New Jersey when Gov. Jim McGreevey, unable to fire Baraka, eliminated the position altogether. Like most of his poems, the latter was peppered with jazz scatting and rapidly changing cadences, which gives it a feel that was simultaneously urgent and lyrical.
Baraka exited the stage to a third standing ovation.
Johnson said she hopes students who attended the lecture gained "knowledge that we need to go out and do something."
"We shouldn't just sit around and let things stay as is," she said.