Return of Amiri

[Charles Brown <BrownBingb@xxxxxxx>]

To my progressive friends and artists who missed the amazing Amiri Baraka , 
Poet Laureate of New Jersey, performance this last Saturday in Detroit:

This is the follow up email to his poem, "Who Blew Up America?"

Peace,
Bill Meyer




STATEMENT BY AMIRI BARAKA, NEW JERSEY POET LAUREATE  10/2/2002


    I WILL NOT "APOLOGIZE", I WILL NOT "RESIGN!"   





    The recent dishonest, consciously distorted and insulting 
non-interpretation of my poem, "Somebody Blew Up America" by the "
Anti-Defamation" League, is fundamentally an attempt to defame me. And with 
that, an attempt to repress and stigmatize independent thinkers everywhere. 


      This trashy propaganda is characteristic of right-wing zealots who are 
interested only in slander and character assassination of those whose views 
or philosophies differ from or are in contradiction to theirs.
       First, the poem underlying theme focuses on how Black Americans have 
suffered from domestic terrorism since being kidnapped into US chattel 
slavery, e.g., by Slave Owners, US & State Laws, Klan, Skin Heads, Domestic 
Nazis, Lynching, denial of rights, national oppression, racism, character 
assassination, historically, and at this very minute throughout the US. The 
relevance of this to Bush call for a "War on Terrorism", is that Black 
people feel we have always been victims of terror, governmental and general, 
so we cannot get as frenzied and hysterical as the people who while asking us 
to dismiss our history and contemporary reality to join them, in the name of 
a shallow "patriotism" in attacking the majority of people in the world, 
especially people of color and in the third world. 
   This is said to us, even as this counterfeit president has legalized the 
Confederate Flag in Mississippi. Could the victims of European Fascism be as 
frantically loyal to a regime that would fly a Nazi Swastika over their 
homes? So we cannot, in good conscience, celebrate what seems to us an 
international crusade to set up a military dictatorship over the world, 
legitimatized at base, by white supremacy, carried out, no matter the crude 
lies, as the most terrifying form of Imperialism and its attendant national 
oppression. All of it designed to drain super profits bluntly from the 
colored peoples of the world, but as well, from the majority of the peoples 
in the world. For all the frantic condemnations of Terror by Bush &c, as the 
single International Super Power, they are the most dangerous terrorists in 
the world!
    Actually, in my focus on various forces of terror Afro Americans and 
other oppressed people of the world have suffered, slavery, colonialism, 
Imperialism, Neo neo-colonialism, National Oppression, the ADL disingenuously 
makes no mention of my probing into the creators of the holocaust, e.g., "who 
put the Jews in ovens, / and who helped them do it, / Who said "America First"
/ and Ok'd the yellow stars", which of course is a reference to America's 
domestic fascists just before World War @ and the Nazi Holocaust. 
            Nor do these ADL purveyors of falsehood mention the poem's 
listing of some of the Jews across the world, oppressed, imprisoned, murdered 
by actual Anti- Semitic forces, open or disguised. The poem asks "Who killed 
Rosa Luxembourg, Liebnecht/Who murdered the Rosenbergs/ And all the good 
people iced, tortured, assassinate, vanished".
            The ADL apparently is not outraged by McCarthy era frame-up and 
execution of the Rosenbergs, nor the assassination of German Jewish Communist 
leaders like Liebnecht, Luxembourg. The ADL leaves these things out to try to 
make their lies more believable, and also because these victims of 
imperialism were on the Left
          Happily the Star Ledger published the entire poem, though including 
in a box, supposedly identifying the offending phrases, my question,  "Who 
Blew Up The Reichstag?" as if the ADL had also claimed that the poem was 
inferring that Jews did it. When it was Hitler's destruction of the 
Reichstag, that provided the pretext for the general imprisonment of Jews, 
after incarcerating Communists, Social Democrats and Trade Unionists.  Why 
this was done one can only speculate, but this is the kind of sloppy or 
intentionally slanderous journalism one can often find in the media. It also 
reflects the kind of unprincipled attack that characterizes ADL press 
release.
    The Reichstag fire, parallels the 911 Attack, in that after that "
mysterious act of terrorism", which Hitler blamed on Jews and Communists, the 
Nazis passed a law The Reichstag Enablement Act, that gave the Nazis much the 
same carte blanche as the Bush administration used the 911 tragedy to pass 
the wholly undemocratic Patriot Bill and begin rounding up suspects, even 
without identifying them. Of course the actual arsonists of the Reichstag 
terror were never found, though most scholars are certain it was the Nazis 
themselves. 
    Of the other lines of the poem, which the ADL termed an example of the 
Hitlerian "Big Lie", and the poet's "spewing Anti-Semitic venom". The 
lines, "Who knew the World Trade Center was gonna get/bombed?" Well now, 
certainly, even the Democratic Party has affirmed that the Bush 
Administration knew. I agree with this, and it is everywhere on the Internet 
that not only was the US warned repeatedly by Germany, France, Russia, 
England but also Israel. Michael Ruppert of the Green Party has issued a 
video stating clearly, "Israeli security issued urgent warnings to the CIA of 
large-scale terror attacks. ?And that the Israeli Mossad knew that the 
attacks were going to take place?they knew that the World Trade Center were 
the targets. This is from British newspaper the "Telegraph". (Copies of 
these documents available with this statement.)
    In addition there are articles in all forms of media and of course the 
Internet confirming or suggesting that the entire Imperialist world knew and 
had warned the US CIA in advance, but no action was taken. WHY. They say they 
"couldn't connect the dots".  The FBI agents in Minnesota and Arizona who sd 
that FBI received a report in 1998 that a terrorist organization  ?planned to 
bring people to the US to enroll in flight schools.  Zacharias Moussoui, now 
charged with conspiring in the Sept 11 attacks, was arrested by the Minnesota 
agents of the FBI in August 2001 but FBI HQ denied agents request to seek a 
warrant even to search his computer. And in a prepared statement by a 
Minnesota FBI agent, he blamed legal restrictions but principally FBI 
headquarters for impeding a more aggressive investigation of this man.  As 
for the other agent's attempt to warn the FBI HQ of these attacks, he was 
rebuffed when he made the report, but now FBI HQ says it has not record of 
such warning.    (See Truthout.org/docs)
    There are other incredible dots on the media, for instance the 
stockholders of American Airlines and United, which were the carriers 
highjacked to commit the terror began withdrawing stock from these companies 
in August before the attacks.
   The most offensive phrase in the poem to my various attackers is, "Who 
told 4000 Israeli workers at the Twin Towers / to stay home that day/ Why did 
Sharon stay away?" 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 it's security force, SHABAK knew about the attack in 
advance. 
     My sources were, "Ha'aretz" and "Yadiot Ahranot" (two Israeli 
newspapers) "Al Watan" (a Jordanian newspaper), "Manar" -TV and the website 
of the Israeli security force SHABAK. There are myriad references to this in 
Reuters, Der Spiegel. 
    The Israeli newspaper Yadiot Ahranot lst revealed that SHABAK had 
canceled Sharon's appearance in New York City that day, Sept 11, where he was 
supposed to speak at an "Israel Day" celebration. This was also mentioned in 
the Star Ledger, to the effect that Sharon was supposed to visit the US, but 
no dates were mentioned. 
    It is the Green Party's Ruppert who makes the most effective case for the 
4000 Israeli workers (Not Jewish Workers!) but Israeli nationals.  He says in 
his video,  "if what I am showing you is know overtly although the media, how 
much more does our thirty billion dollar intelligence community know"/
    He goes on, and this seems true to me, It is "Nonsense" to say the 
Israelis did it They were warning the U.S. hand over fist?" Ruppert 
speculates further 1. The US did not listen 2. They needed the attacks" which 
I leave to time, as Malcolm X sd, Time will tell. 
    But the most stunning revelation is this, again Ruppert, "We reviewed the 
list of former tenants of the World Trade Center at the on-line Wall St 
Journal site. And there's the website. It is an alphabetical list of tenants. 
Scroll to the very bottom and notice the moving date for the office of Zim 
American-Israeli Shipping to Norfolk Virginia. They were in the World Trade 
Center. They must have had Mossad"  (or Shabak- AB) input because they 
vacated one week before September and they broke their lease. The Israelis 
didn't pull the attack, but they were smart enough to get their people out of 
the way. How come our government didn't do the same thing for us."   
(Statement & Quote by George DeCarlo, Coordinator of Union County Greens, Co 
Founder of the NJ Lavender Greens- included in media pkg.)
    The poem was never saying anything else, i.e., why didn't the other 
slaughtered Americans know? I WAS NOT SAYING ISRAEL WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE 
ATTACK, BUT THAT THEY KNEW AND OUR OWN COUNTERFEIT PRESIDENT DID TOO!
    There is other disturbing facts surround the hideous 911 attacks, which 
my family and I could see from the third floor bathroom window of our homes! 
And certainly one day all this will be thoroughly investigated.  The poem 
says "Who know why Five Israelis was filming the explosion/ And cracking they 
sides at the notion." I got this story from The Star Ledger, where it 
appeared twice, and The New York Times. 
    The reference to "cracking they sides" or laughing uproariously while 
filming the 911 attack, apparently on the top of a truck from the Jersey side 
is a direct paraphrase of the Ledger articles. In fact, the State Police, who 
arrested them, stated that that is one of the reasons they did arrest them, 
because they were laughing.
    Again, these were Israeli Nationals, persons holding Israeli passports. 
The Times article even reported on what their lives were like in Jail. And 
implied they would be deported.  So this reference is not more of the ADL's "
Anti-Semitic venom" but arrived at merely from studying the US media.
    Why those five Israelis were there filming and laughing I do not claim 
know. That's why the poem here and throughout continuously chants the 
question WHO WHO WHO?     That is, who is responsible for this horrible crime 
and WHY? It is a poem that aims to probe and disturb, but there is not the 
slightest evidence of Anti-Semitism, as anyone who reads it without some 
insidious bias would have to agree.
Why the ADL would do this, I can only speculate.
    I wish they and other concerned pundits would speculate on how an 
Airplane flying in America, where the pilot has to file a flight plan before 
taking off, how can such a plane or two or three of them file such a route in 
which they would travel, and in the case of the planes leaving Boston make 45 
degree turns south and fly 54 minutes to the World Trade Center and 90 
minutes to the Pentagon and not be challenged by US Air Defense Fighters, or 
brought down by ground to air missiles?
Having been in the Air Force I know those ADC fighters would normally 
confront such "rogue" aircraft within a few minutes! Why was this not done? 
Let the ADL and the media investigating me, investigate that!
    We should know that Bush and his Right Wing crew want War against all the 
forces of their so called "Axis of Evil" What a not so wild coincidence that 
the path of this Axis parallels the route of the proposed US oil 
corporations- pipe line from Saudi to the far east, apparently to oppose the 
spiraling economic growth and influence of China. They scream "Bin Laden" 
and "Taliban" and destroy Afghanistan, install a puppet president and a 
shadow occupation force.
    Next in the Axis is Iraq, we should have known that. With no real proof 
at all again the people of the US outraged and frightened by the Reichstag of 
911 are hyped with chants of "Regime Change" and "Saddam Hussein". No 
longer is the madness of crowds being aroused by the "Anti ?Terrorist" 
campaign and Bin Laden as the Devil figure used to rouse the people to a 
patriotic frenzy, now it is Saddam Hussein. So forget last month's war and 
get ready for this month's.
    Bush says he wants "regime change" in Palestine, he wants to oust 
Arafat, now in Iraq, and he wants to oust Saddam. The Axis projects Iran next 
and then North Korea. What is this an updated version of 1984 or an American 
version of Hitler's and Bush 1's) New World Order?
    Regime Change, why? Because these regimes are anti democratic or 
terrorists or in the case of Saddam, they have "weapons of mass destruction"
.
Well if being anti democratic were a good rationalization for foreign 
invasions of countries then the United States better watch out because the 
Florida coup, which tricked the American people into accepting Bush as 
President is anything but democratic. Should we let foreign countries invade 
us to get rid of Bush? What would be the American People's reaction to such 
Third Reich replay?
    And as for Saddam having "weapons of mass destruction" (or mass 
diversion as some critics say) The US has these weapons. So do Israel, South 
Africa, Germany, France, Italy, England, Russia, and now China, India, 
Pakistan. How is it the US and its allies (except the Chinese) can have such 
weapons, but no one else can. The answer to that, of course, is White 
Supremacy and Imperialism. And what should be the growing understanding by 
the American people and the democratic people of the world, is what the far 
right Bush coven wants is a military dictatorship of the world. 
    The ADL, by attacking me by distorting what my poem is saying, is doing 
its usual ugly, as a well known running dog of imperialism, particularly by 
attacking anyone who takes an independent position or is critical of Israeli 
Imperialism and its attendant ideology political Zionism. As they are 
attempting with me the ADL slanders anyone who is not happy with Israel's 
ethnic cleansing of the Palestinians
As Anti Semitic, when lst of all Israel and its guiding philosophy have 
nothing to do, as categories, with Jews. (See "Zionism in the Age of the 
Dictators", Brenner
    But this is the trick such demagogues as the ADL use to hide the crimes 
of Imperialist Israel. When we criticize US imperialism does that make us 
enemies of Christianity, maybe only to Jerry Falwell and such Right wing 
Christian Zealots, perhaps Asscraft But neither Israel nor Zionism is the 
same as Judaism.  (Op cit Brenner; also "The Dilemma of the Modern Jew, Prinz"
.) But this is the trick the Israeli's and their sympathizers use to hide 
behind Judaism. Israel  (and it's political Zionism) has as much to do with 
Judaism, as the US has to do with Christianity. 
    In the US our constitution makes clear that this is a secular nation and 
by law theoretically enforces separation of church and state, tho Mr. Bush 
and Mr. Asscraft have demonstrated they disagree, and Israel outright says it 
is a "Jewish State" but if that is so then that explains why it can 
discriminate against its Arab people living inside Israel and make them   2nd 
class citizens, in much the same way that South Africa, a close friend did 
under Apartheid. (See "The Crisis of Black Jewish Relations", Brenner & 
Bloom; "Israel and South Africa", Stevens & Ellmessi; The "Arabs in Israel" 
by Sabri Jiryis, foreword by Noam Chomsky)
   The ADL attacks so it can confuse people and show me as just another Anti- 
Semitic attacker of their absolutely false depictions of Israel as a victim 
of Palestinian Terrorism. This is absolutely in tune with the Bush 
administrations
Frenzied "destroy Iraq regime change "Jones" (a street word for narcotics 
addiction) that the administration is chanting around us like cheer leaders 
at a football game! So that US imperialism can transform the whole of the 
Middle East, the Arab world into a gas station (See "Bushwacked: A 
Counterfeit President for a Fake Democracy", Baraka)
    So that we are supposed to believe that if a little girl blows herself up 
in a Israeli Pizza Parlor, she is a terrorist, but when Israeli Jets, made in 
the USA, destroy whole sections of Palestinian cities, bulldoze 
neighborhoods, all but destroy the Palestinian Center of Governance, with its 
President, Yasser Arafat, inside sitting in the dark, it is the Israelis who 
are victims and the little Palestinian girl or boy or young man or young 
woman or even elder, they are the terrorists. We are supposed to be 
intimidated by demagogues like the Anti Defamation League (who shd be called 
the Anti Anti Defamation League) so that Israel as a jr. partner of the Bush 
led US goosestep to world military domination can commit ethnic cleansing of 
the Palestinians in the name of fighting terrorism.
    It is the ADL, which is actually guilty of what its leader, Abraham 
Foxman calls the Hitlerian "Big Lie", and ironically it is the ADL, which is 
"spewing anti-Semitic venom". The same ADL which became aware of "Black Anti 
Semitism", which it had earlier said has never been a threat, until Stokely 
Carmichael and SNCC began to support the PLO and the Palestinian Struggle as 
a Liberation Struggle and condemn Israeli Imperialism and Zionism. That is 
when, as Stokeley Carmichael says in the APRP's  "Smash Zionism" the ADL 
smashed SNCC instead.
    As Israel drew closer to South Africa, politically, economically, 
militarily in the 60's  (Op Cit, above & others) the Black Liberation 
Movement and African Nations became more and more guilty, according to the 
ADL, of "Black Anti-Semitism".
         This is the same ADL who opposed Affirmative Action, even though 
many Jews benefited by the Civil Rights Struggle, and the most notable white 
comrades in that struggle were young Jews. The same ADL that filed an Amicus 
Curiae (friend of the court brief) in the historic and reactionary Baake 
Decision which challenged & defeated the University of California's 
affirmative action as "racist" and was explained by the ADL as its 
opposition to quotas. So that the university's could now enforce a quota on 
Black students of none!
    This is the same ADL, which in league with the American Israel Political 
Action Committee, just a few weeks ago sent millions of dollars into Atlanta, 
Georgia to defeat progressive Black Congress woman Cynthia McKinney, because 
she called for a more balance American view of the Palestinian ?Israeli 
Conflict.
These same forces defeated     in Alabama, another progressive Black 
incumbent Congressman, because he too dared to support the Palestinians. (See 
New York Times), Amsterdam News, Star Ledger).
   Very much like the way Bush touts "Regime Change," recently even hinting 
at an attempted Assassination of Saddam Hussein, if the American People rise 
up and force our congress to deny the Bush juggernaut of terror to attack 
Iraq. ADL and their " bagman" AIPAC didn't like these black politicians 
stance on Israel, so in a minute and a few million dollars, they are gone!
    So now, it's my turn. Using my poem, Somebody Blew Up America" they are 
Going to spread the Big Lie, distort what poem says. Cover the fact that this 
poem actually is an attack on Imperialism, National Oppression, Monopoly 
Capitalism, Racism, Anti-Semitism.  I challenge ADL to show anywhere in this 
poem that is Anti-Semitic in the least. In their press release they say talk 
about "Jews being scapegoated throughout history?' then "conspiracy mongers 
of the Arab world?have taken Anti-Israel propaganda to a new level " (Mr. 
Foxman, what is the Arab World? Alan Dershowitz in his "Chutzpah" says the 
basis of bigotry is "overgeneralization," so where is the "Arab World"? Is 
Detroit included? Asscraft thinks so.
          Earlier the press release mentions "the Muslim World" does that 
include Lyons Ave, Newark?    But then from "Anti-Semitism" the release goes 
to Israel, not Jews, and Israeli Mossad as those victimized. So they fight 
Anti Semitism
Mainly by "defending" Israel.  In fact they defend Israel like Joe McCarthy "
defended" the US against Communism. Included in my package is a communiqué 
from an Israeli Peace Organization ": Gush Shalom", "Israeli Peace Block 
(see Defamation from the Anti Defamation League Answered" 
(info@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx) This was first published 7/11/2000 as a press release. 
 "In the past 24 hours, an attack is being mounted against Gush Shalom. 
Knesset Member Collette Avital (Labor) has actually lodge a complaint with 
the police, claiming that cartoons presented on our website constitute "
incitement". And the powerful American Jewish organization Anti ?Defamation 
League found time, even on election day, over there, to disseminate a message 
of defamation against "Gush Shalom", which already resulted in hate e mails 
being sent our address"
    In a following message signed by Adam Keller Gush, Shalom Spokesperson. 
The organization defends itself from an ADL pres release s "expressing 
outrage at Gush Shalom's portrayal of Prime Minster Barak as a killer of 
Palestinian children in a caricature on its web site, stating that the image 
of Barak standing on the bleeding bullet ridden body of a Palestinian child 
is abhorrent."
    Gush Shalom replies, "Still after consulting with my fellow activists I 
am in a position to make an offer. Should a complete week ? seven days pass 
in which not a single unarmed Palestinian is killed by the Israeli armed 
forces which are answerable to Mr. Barak, we would remove the above mentioned 
cartoon from our website.
    The Gush Shalom statement ends "As for the ADL- an organization which 
claims to "counter hatred prejudice and bigotry" can you truly find no other 
places to search for such, with Israeli society in its present condition, 
except at our modest website. Was the ADL attacking these Israelis for being 
Anti Semitic or criticizing rather forcefully the continuous murder of the 
Palestinians. So in Israel itself, ADL is still covering for and attacking 
anyone, even Israeli citizens themselves who oppose the Bush Zionist Plan to 
de-Palestinianize Palestine!
    Another communication from Israel (robertoj69@xxxxxxxxx). This signed by 
95 Israeli Academics (copy included in pkg), Sept 23, 2002 that begins "
URGENT WARNING: THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT MAY BE CONTEMPLATING CRIMES AGAINST 
HUMANITY" It goes on, "We members of the Israeli academe are horrified by US 
buildup of aggression towards Iraq and by the Israeli political leadership's 
enthusiastic support of it. We are deeply worried by indications that the "
fog of war" could be exploited by the Israeli government to commit further 
crimes against the Palestinian people, up to full-fledged ethnic cleansing."
        One striking description of the Israeli Military by these professors 
is that in an interview found in Ha'aretz Sept 19, 2002, Israeli Chief of 
Staff Moshe Ya'alon describe the Palestinians as a "cancerous manifestation" 
and equated the military actions in the Occupied territories with "
chemotherapy"

Certainly the ADL will have to go after these "Anti Semites" using the "Big 
Lie" and "Spewing Anti-Semitic Venom"! And the growing list of progressive 
democratic people around the world who will have opinions about Israel and 
Political Zionism independent of the ADL, the ADL will have to attack and 
slander them as well
     
          I challenge the ADL to set up a national television program so that 
we might debate this issue. We can project the poem on a wall and go down 
line by new and discuss it. If not that then why not a forum or debate some 
place like NYC Town Hall or at Symphony Hall in Newark.
    Why not take a survey of those who heard the poem at the Dodge Festival? 
Those who registered and the students brought by schools could be contacted 
and a survey taken to reflect just the majority of people hearing the poem 
thought, not just some shadowy surrogates of Imperialism who are trying to 
convince people that I and my poem are the enemy not US and Israeli 
Imperialism.
    I have already gotten a great many communications praising the poem. A 
great many E-mail letters and phone calls not only praising the poem, and the 
poet for writing it, but also opposing the attempt to violate my first 
amendment rights by this oft repeated ADL skin game of calling critics of 
imperialism Anti Semites. 
    I have already said, in answer to what Governor McGreevey is quoted as 
demanding that I apologize and that I resign as NJ Poet Laureate. And I have 
said repeatedly that I will do neither. It is unfortunate that Governor 
McGreevey has been stampeded by paid liars, and apologists for ethnic 
cleansing and white supremacy, bourgeois nationalists and the dangerously 
ignorant, to be panicked into joining in the ADL's slander, belittling my 
intelligence, and insulting not only my person, my family, my fellow artists 
and activists who know all this is just the feces of a very small cow. But 
they are also attacking my work in the arts and my social political views. By 
demanding that I apologize to Evil and Submit to some fundamentally racist 
and politically motivated call for me to resign as New Jersey's Poet 
Laureate, he is insulting the broad group of people who know he is incorrect 
and who have read and celebrated and valued my work. And that is a grave 
mistake, one I am hoping he will correct.
    "Somebody Blew Up America!" was written Oct 1, 2001. A month after the 
terror attack.  Almost immediately I circulated it around the world on the 
Internet.
In addition, I have read this poem in Spain, Portugal, Africa, Switzerland, 
Italy, Finland and it was translated into German and read on German radio, at 
Universities and other venues across this country. It has become one of the 
most circulated of my poems. 
    Yet it was not until I read the poem at the Dodge Poetry Festival that I 
got negative response from three people that I know of. The overwhelming 
response was an almost thunderous applause. I even had to come out and take a 
second bow at one performance. So why now and Who, as the poem asks, is 
behind it? Perhaps the forces which have dishonestly tried to characterize 
the poem as  "venom" or merely "a harangue" (just as they called John 
Coltrane's music "Barbaric Yawps") are simply, the Charlie McCarthy voices 
for Bush & Sharon's Edgar Bergen's. Empty-headed devilish dummies 
constructed of wood and painted and costumed   to look like it is real people 
speaking, when all the time it is   imperialism is the ventriloquist speaking 
through their mouths,     
        NO, I WILL NOT APOLOGIZE, I WILL NOT RESIGN. In fact I will continue 
to do what I have appointed to do but still have not been paid to do. 
Publicize and Popularize poetry and poets throughout this state. To set up 
new venues and new networks for poetry reading and workshops, in the state's 
libraries and schools and other institutions. Hopefully initiated and given 
paradigm right here in the Newark Public Library, its branches and throughout 
the school system. Therefore giving more of our citizens access to poetry, 
involving poets of all nationalities, both male and female, of diverse 
experience and styles. I have already begun to enlist coordinators of poetry 
programs throughout the state, so that we can network a tour of poets, 
hopefully beginning in January, throughout the state.
    To do this I will be approaching local, county, state, federal and 
private funding. And expand our budget with the cooperation of these other 
existing programs.  We will ask that poets POET-ON! That they begin to 
produce at least one poem or publish a poem monthly, in the most modest 
forms, Kinko style, and give them away if they have to. That they begin to 
set up readings not only in the places we mentioned but also in parks and 
restaurants and in neighborhoods.
    We say this because we feel that this state and indeed this nation and 
this world is desperately in need of the deepest and most profound human 
values that poetry can teach. That is what Keats and Du Bois called for the 
poet to do, to bring Truth and Beauty. To be like the most ancient 
paradigmythic image of the poet. To be like Osiris and Orpheus, whose job it 
was to raise the Sun each morning with song and story. To illuminate the 
human mind, and bring light into the world. POET ON!




photos of speech/press conference 





return to amiribaraka.com