Amiri Bakara Somebody Blew Up America
Amiri Bakara – Somebody Blew up America
Amiri Bakara was born in Newark, New Jersey on October 7, 1934. He was born as Everett Leroi Jones. In 1952 he changed his name to Leroi Jones and in 1967 he changed it to Amiri Bakara. He lived with his parents, his father who was a postal supervisor and his mother who was a social worker. He attended Rutgers University, Colombia University and Howard University studying philosophy and religious studies. He did not obtain a degree from any of the three colleges. Instead, he joined the United States Air Force in 1954 but was later dishonorably discharged because of the discovery of so called communist writings. After his time in the Air Force, Bakara moved to Greenwich Village and found Totem Press …show more content…
In 1967, Bakara joined the staff of San Francisco University as a lecturer. The following year he was arrested for illegally carrying a concealed weapon and for resisting arrest during riots following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. In the 1970s, Bakara was criticized for several poems he had written that many claimed to have anti-Jewish undertones. This is still a critique that Baraka deals with regarding his more recent works. In later years, Bakara’s 31-year old daughter was murdered and he was listed as one of America’s 101 Most Dangerous Academics in America (Wikipedia, …show more content…
The poem names specific names, including Trent Lott, Condoleezza Rice and Clarence Thomas and these people are spoken against in extreme anger. “Who do Tom Ass Clarence Work for? Who doo doo come out the Colon's mouth? Who know what kind of Skeeza is a Condoleeza?” (Baraka, 2001, 1). It also sites Israel as playing a part in the attacks. “Who knew the World Trade Center was gonna get bombed? Who told 4000 Israeli workers at the Twin Towers to stay home that day? Why did Sharon stay away? Who know why Five Israelis was filming the explosion and cracking they sides at the notion” (Bakara, 1). He also cites President George W. Bush as having a role in the September 11 attacks. “Who the fake president” (Bakara, 2001,
Amiri Bakara was born in Newark, New Jersey on October 7, 1934. He was born as Everett Leroi Jones. In 1952 he changed his name to Leroi Jones and in 1967 he changed it to Amiri Bakara. He lived with his parents, his father who was a postal supervisor and his mother who was a social worker. He attended Rutgers University, Colombia University and Howard University studying philosophy and religious studies. He did not obtain a degree from any of the three colleges. Instead, he joined the United States Air Force in 1954 but was later dishonorably discharged because of the discovery of so called communist writings. After his time in the Air Force, Bakara moved to Greenwich Village and found Totem Press …show more content…
In 1967, Bakara joined the staff of San Francisco University as a lecturer. The following year he was arrested for illegally carrying a concealed weapon and for resisting arrest during riots following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. In the 1970s, Bakara was criticized for several poems he had written that many claimed to have anti-Jewish undertones. This is still a critique that Baraka deals with regarding his more recent works. In later years, Bakara’s 31-year old daughter was murdered and he was listed as one of America’s 101 Most Dangerous Academics in America (Wikipedia, …show more content…
The poem names specific names, including Trent Lott, Condoleezza Rice and Clarence Thomas and these people are spoken against in extreme anger. “Who do Tom Ass Clarence Work for? Who doo doo come out the Colon's mouth? Who know what kind of Skeeza is a Condoleeza?” (Baraka, 2001, 1). It also sites Israel as playing a part in the attacks. “Who knew the World Trade Center was gonna get bombed? Who told 4000 Israeli workers at the Twin Towers to stay home that day? Why did Sharon stay away? Who know why Five Israelis was filming the explosion and cracking they sides at the notion” (Bakara, 1). He also cites President George W. Bush as having a role in the September 11 attacks. “Who the fake president” (Bakara, 2001,