30 Days of Black Arts Poetry: An Introduction

From the late 1960s through the mid 1970s, African American poets, publishers, playwrights, musicians, visual artists, short story writers, novelists, editors, and black militant audiences collaborated on the production of a major cultural enterprise known as the Black Arts Movement.

One of the major publishing outlets of the era -- Black World magazine (formerly known as Negro Digest -- regularly featured poets. Every September issue of the periodical was dedicated to poetry and included dozens of pieces by poets as well as essays and other commentary.

In the spirit of Black World, I decided to produce a series of posts this month on issues related to poetry of the black arts era. I'll write about leading poets of the movement as well as older established poets whose works began to circulate widely during the time period due to increased publication of anthologies. I'll also concentrate on additional topics related to the era such as inspirational figures Malcolm X and John Coltrane and various sites of publication like Broadside Press.

The 30 entries:

Day 1:  30 Days of Black Arts Poetry: An Introduction
Day 2: Negro Digest / Black World magazine & Poetry
Day 3: Amiri Baraka: A Leading Black Arts Figure 
Day 4: The Black Panther Party, Black Drama, & Black Arts Poets
Day 5: 6 Ways Black Arts Era Anthologies Shaped African American Literary History 
Day 6: Malcolm as Muse
Day 7: Nikki Giovanni & Black Arts Poetry
Day 8: From a 'Black Art' poem to 'The Black Arts Movement'
Day 9: Africa & Black Arts Poetry
Day 10: Jazz & Black Arts Poetry
Day 11: 30 Anthologies featuring Black Poetry, 1968-1975
Day 12: Older Generations of Writers & 'New' Black Poetry
Day 13: Poets as Essayists During the Black Arts Era
Day 14: 10 Black Arts Era Poems 
Day 15: Dudley Randall & Broadside Press
Day 16: “sCReeeEEECHHHHHH”: Black Arts Poets Chasing John Coltrane
Day 17: Black Arts Poets as Performers and Recording Artists
Day 18: Toni Morrison & Black Arts Poetry
Day 19: Drumvoices: A Remarkable History of Black, American Poetry
Day 20: Black Pride & Black Arts Poetry
Day 21: 15 Malcolm X Poems by Poets of the Black Arts Era
Day 22: 10 John Coltrane Poems by Poets of the Black Arts Era
Day 23: Haki Madhubuti & the New Black Poetry
Day 24: Women Writers & Black Arts Poetry
Day 25: 10 Essential Essays by Black Arts Era Poets
Day 26: 5 Ways Black Arts Poets Challenged Anti-Black Racism
Day27: Black Arts Poetry & Afrofuturism
Day 28: The Decline of a Movement, the legacies of Black Arts Poetry
Day 29: Resources on the histories of Black Arts Poetry
Day 30: 100 Black Arts Era Poems