Baraka

[Charles Brown <BrownBingb@xxxxxxx>]

Comments on Baraka by Detroit jazz musician and radical acitivist , Bill 
Meyer:

To my progressive friends and artists who missed the amazing Amiri Baraka 
performance this last Saturday in Detroit at our film festival.

The world-renowned poet/activist, Amiri Baraka spoke about art and activism 
and followed with a stellar reading of his controversial poem, Who Blew Up 
America? You probably know that he was severely attacked after the poem first 
came out, about a month after 9-11. But his response startled his accusers 
when he refused to apologize and to resign from his appointed post of poet 
laureate of New Jersey.

Besides the extreme honor of improvising jazz while this giant intellect 
expounded on world issues in an amazing arrangement of words that only one of 
the greatest and most knowledgeable jazz poets can pull off, I was prompted 
to explore the history surrounding this poem.

I was amazed to read his response, which not only clarified text in the poem, 
but fortified my respect for this artist who obviously has a deep grasp on 
political and social history.

I thought you might enjoy reading the poem which Iâ??ve enclosed below. His 
response to his accusers will be in the follow up email.

Peace and Justice,
Bill Meyer

Reprinted from www.counterpunch.org