The Black Arts Movement was a political movement of Black cultural nationalism between 1965 and 1975. As an expression of cultural nationalism, the movement sought to achieve Black liberation through the creation of various forms of art, including poetry. The cultural nationalist movement is often understood as distinct and contrary to the revolutionary nationalist movement, which sought to bring about Black liberation through political revolution (in the Black Panther Party, for example).
Amiri Baraka, the renowned poet from Newark, New Jersey, kicked off the Black Arts Movement in 1965 by opening the Black Arts Repertory Theatre in Harlem, New York. The theatre's short existence in Harlem offered a home for Black artistic expression. After its birth in Harlem, the Black Arts Movement soon spread outside of the city, reaching Chicago, Detroit, and San Francisco. Its characteristic art was innovative but often shocking and alienating from the mainstream. The movement was controversial because of its radical politics in addition to what many viewed as its sexist, homophobic, and anti-Semitic elements. Baraka's work has been criticized for these reasons.
Influential members of the Black Arts Movement included Gwendolyn Brooks, Maya Angelou, Audre Lord, and Nikki Giovanni. Giovanni's early poetry in the Black Arts Movement period fought for both racial and sexual justice—the latter goal an important one in the context of the movement's traditionally masculine expression. Her poems "Poem (No Name No. 3)" (1970) and "Woman Poem" (1968) are examples of works that reflect these objectives.
The Black Arts Movement declined in the mid-1970s due to internal disagreements and financial problems. It also may have suffered from the mainstream recognition garnered by some of its members, including Giovanni. The movement left behind a legacy of Black pride and inspired many artists in its aftermath. Its artists produced a rich and complex collection of poetry, art, and music that continues to be enjoyed and discussed today.
