New Jersey Poet Laureate Status Hangs in the Balance for Baraka

Before my current writing life, there was The Hilltop, Howard University’s and the Nation’s Oldest Black Collegiate Newspaper, where many of the questions and themes I still explore first found their voice. What follows are my early published works, preserved in their original form.

From The Hilltop Archives

Originally published in The Hilltop, Howard University — November 1st, 2002

__________________________________________________________________________________ 

New Jersey Poet Laureate Status Hangs in the Balance for Baraka

Renowned poet, playwright and former Howard University student Amiri Baraka vows to ''go to the Supreme Court'' if the New Jersey Legislature and Governor James McGreevey carry out their threat to revoke his appointment as the Garden State's poet laureate or block the $10,000 stipend that goes with the title. 

 

It isn't the money, said Baraka. 

 

''Right now the most important thing to me is to disprove this lie that I'm anti-Semitic.'' 

 

The poem in the center of the controversy is entitled SomebodyBlew Up America. 

 

In the piece, Baraka makes clear reference to Israel as not only knowing beforehand of the Sept. 11 attacks on America, buthaving a hand in their execution. 

 

New Jersey Governor James McGreevey signed and awarded the $10,000 stipend to Baraka confirming that New Jersey acknowledged Baraka for his outstanding work. However, now McGreevey has expressed disgust at the poem. 

 

"The language used in Mr. Baraka's recent poem could be interpreted as stating that Israelis were forewarned of the Sept. 11 attacks," said McGreevey. 

 

"Mr. Baraka should clarify the intent of his language and apologize for any misinterpretation of that language and resign," McGreevey said. 

 

A part of the poem reads, 

 

"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?"

 

Another reference that is controversial reads, 

 

"Who knows why Five Israelis was filming the explosion

 

And cracking they sides at the notion." 

 

Among those who are condemning Baraka is his predecessor as New Jersey's poet laureate, who was on the four-person committee that selected the new laureate in May, Gerald Stern. 

 

"I was shocked at the stupidity'" of Baraka's poem, Stern told The New York Times. 

 

Yet, '"Somebody Blew Up America,'" was published in October 2001, seven months before Stern was lobbying for Baraka to succeed him.

 

Controversy over the poem started when Baraka recited it on Sept. 19 at the 2002 Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival at Waterloo Village in Stanhope, New Jersey. 

 

The New Jersey Council appointed Baraka Poet Laureate for the Humanities and the State Council on the Arts on August 28, 2002. 

 

Myrna Shinbaum of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) spoke about the organizations problem with the poem. 

 

"Clearly, the poet laureate has bought into the big lie that Jews are responsible for 9/11," said Shinbaum. 

 

"While he has every right to write poetry as he chooses, to represent the state of New Jersey, we find that extremely offensive," she said. "We applaud the governor for trying to do what he can in this instance." 

 

Baraka's defense amid all of the criticism is that he is critical of Israel, not anti-Semitic 

 

"I think it's absurd. Every time you want to criticize Israel you are called an anti-Semite. If these people want to persist and make me willingly withdraw, I'm not going to do it," said Baraka. 

 

Baraka was one of the voices leading the Black Arts poetry movement and founded the Black Arts Repertory Theatre/School in Harlem and the Spirit House Players in Newark. 

 

These venues allowed him to express his skills as a playwright and he produced several anti-white plays geared toward all black audiences. In 1968, he dropped his government name and embraced the Muslim name Imamu Amiri Baraka. 

 

The New Jersey Council for the Humanities and the State Council on the Arts aware of Amiri Baraka very militant past, they also knew of his Anti-Semitic attitude that was embodied in his work. 

 

The title of poet laureate holds a two-year term with the objective of promoting and encouraging poetry.