“We want poems/like fists beating niggers out of Jocks/or dagger poems in the slimy bellies/of the owner-jews.” – from Black Art
Anti-Semitic poet Amiri Baraka died Thursday in Newark, N.J., at the age of 79. The headlines describe him as “polarizing” (The New York Times), “provocative” (The Los Angeles Times), and “controversial” (The Chicago Tribune). He most recently made headlines with his 9/11 poem “Somebody Blew Up America,” which featured the lines, “Who told 4000 Israeli workers at the Twin Towers/to stay home that day/Why did Sharon stay away?”
In the uproar caused by that poem, Baraka denied any claims of anti-Semitism, saying in a statement, “To infer that I am accusing Israel of committing the atrocity is disingenuous slander and character assassination. But I do believe, as I stated about England, Germany, France, Russia, that the Israeli government, certainly its security force Shabak knew about the attack in advance.”
Naturally, the tributes that appeared today were nothing but flattering.
https://twitter.com/MarthaPlimpton/status/421394697064427520
RIP Amiri Baraka… http://t.co/XeO5UoUSsu
— Russell Simmons (@UncleRUSH) January 9, 2014
Amiri Baraka, former N.J. poet laureate and prolific author, dead at 79 http://t.co/8K3o4KakRj #RestInPeace
— Melissa Harris-Perry (@MHarrisPerry) January 9, 2014
i had the pleasu—pardon me i had the honor of working with Amiri Baraka on our 5th album Phrenology. http://t.co/az099IW13x Rest In Power.
— Trash That Rizzo Statue (@questlove) January 9, 2014
RIP to author, activist & Roots collaborator Amiri Baraka, who passed away at the age of 79. Read more about… http://t.co/c5LPKpPdk1
— The Roots (@theroots) January 9, 2014
one of the great poets of our time gone http://t.co/QoI1o19oG4
— Sandra Bernhard (@SandraBernhard) January 9, 2014
Nothing to say but R.I.P., Amiri Baraka. "Why Is We Americans" – http://t.co/UUqPxpMIZc
— Seed Of Sally Good'n (@JustCallMeKiku) January 9, 2014
“@nprnews: Amiri Baraka, Poet And Co-Founder Of Black Arts Movement, Dies At 79 http://t.co/d0mVZLI9Cm” Oh my goodness! Wow. RIP.
— kerry washington (@kerrywashington) January 9, 2014
"A man is either free or he is not. There cannot be any apprenticeship for freedom."–Amiri Baraka #RIP
— Jose Antonio Vargas (@joseiswriting) January 9, 2014
IN MEMORY OF AMIRI BARAKA • 1934 – 2014 pic.twitter.com/3TLIPTiU0L
— apollotheater (@ApolloTheater) January 9, 2014
Amiri Baraka captured an outsider's anger, giving it beauty http://t.co/uf58bAC8IL
— L.A. Times Books (@latimesbooks) January 10, 2014
Amiri Baraka dies at 79; provocative poet lauded, chided for social passion http://t.co/300iQYazJV For him, "poet" was understatement.
— Clarence Page (@cptime) January 9, 2014
Sad news: Poet Amiri Baraka has transitioned. My condolences to his family, friends, and to all who loved him.
— Cynthia McKinney PhD (@cynthiamckinney) January 9, 2014
RT @BET: Amiri Baraka, a great African American writer & activist, dies today at the age of 79. http://t.co/PEeDQjRrBl #RIP
— DJ DRAMA (@DJDRAMA) January 9, 2014
Amiri Baraka, a great African American writer & activist, dies today at the age of 79. http://t.co/K9aV8Gecmj #RIP
— BET (@BET) January 9, 2014
Rest in power, Amiri Baraka. Grateful I got to see him read at the @cavecanempoets retreat two summers ago.
— Saeed Jones (@theferocity) January 9, 2014
What is your favorite Amiri Baraka poem or quote?
— JET (@GetJETmag) January 9, 2014
Well, it wasn’t when he called former RNC chair Michael Steele a “real public coon” (get it?) or former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice a “skeeza.” We’ll start narrowing our choices by scratching off the ones archived on the Anti-Defamation League’s website.
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