Fiery Inspiration: Amiri Baraka and the Black Arts Movement
- Submitting institution
-
Brunel University London
- Unit of assessment
- 27 - English Language and Literature
- Output identifier
- 006-116386-16752
- Type
- I - Performance
- Venue(s)
- BBC RADIO 4 - 2015
- Open access status
- -
- Month of first performance
- October
- Year of first performance
- 2015
- URL
-
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/series/b06mcn8k
- Supplementary information
-
-
- Request cross-referral to
- -
- Output has been delayed by COVID-19
- No
- COVID-19 affected output statement
- -
- Forensic science
- No
- Criminology
- No
- Interdisciplinary
- No
- Number of additional authors
-
0
- Research group(s)
-
-
- Proposed double-weighted
- No
- Reserve for an output with double weighting
- Yes
- Additional information
- The aim of the programme was to investigate, for the first time on national broadcast media and from a British perspective, the life and work of one of the most famous and controversial African American artists of the twentieth century and to ask questions about what underpinned his politics and to what extent his influence reached beyond the United States.
Evaristo conducted research with people who knew him, in the UK and US revealing a complex, uncompromising and sometimes contradictory individual who wrote poetry for the masses, believed in black nationalism and spoke out against racial injustice. Yet while he ostensibly argued for equality, his radical stance was commensurately misogynistic, homophobic, anti-Semitic, and intolerant of fellow black people who disagreed with him. The documentary also revealed that although publicly homophobic, Baraka had gay relationships when he was younger, and his attitudes towards women, at least, improved with the times. Yet he was bigoted while decrying bigotry. The interviews and conversations also revealed the power of his writing and the Black Arts Movement to inspire young black people developing careers in the arts in the UK in the 80s. The documentary was ground-breaking as an investigation into the radical black arts scenes of two countries and two eras, and it was the first and is the only radio programme to focus on Baraka, and doubly so to view him through the multiple perspectives of those who knew him and those who were influenced by him. The final insights are in-depth yet also expansive in making transatlantic connections for black people who are making art happen in societies where they are marginalised and need to create platforms to be heard, to be included, to reflect their specific, demographic realities.
- Author contribution statement
- -
- Non-English
- No
- English abstract
- -
