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Amiri Baraka Quotes

Writer

Amiri Baraka, born Leroy Jones, was an American writer, poet, playwright, political activist, and music critic. His work spanned poetry, novels, plays, and music criticism, and had a profound impact on American literature and black culture.

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All People Art Black Men World Art Is America Black People Poem Poetry Thinking White American Life Artist Class Consciousness Death Evil Eye Freedom

Famous Amiri Baraka Quotes

“The films of Warhol, when they are about anything are about sucking people off. This can be high art, to people who are interested in sucking people off. But that will not liberate Black people.”

People Art Film Black Black People Warhol High Art

Book:Raise, Race, Rays, Raze: Essays Since 1965

Source: Raise, Race, Rays, Raze: Essays Since 1965

“The word “art” is something the West has never understood. Art is supposed to be a part of a community. Like, scholars are supposed to be a part of a community... Art is to decorate people’s houses, their skin, their clothes, to make them expand their minds, and it’s supposed to be right in the community, where they can have it when they want it... It’s supposed to be as essential as a grocery store... that’s the only way art can function naturally.”

People Way Want Mind Art House Community Essentials Clothes Understood Art Is Skins Function West Stores Supposed To Be Scholar Groceries Grocery Stores

Author:Amiri Baraka

“I guess I was the most unbohemian of all bohemians. My bohemianism consisted of not wanting to get involved with the stupid stuff that I thought people wanted you to get involved with - ... namely America... Dwight Eisenhower, McCarthyism and all those great things.”

People Wanted America Stuff Stupid Involved Great Things Get Involved Mccarthyism Dwight Dwight Eisenhower

Author:Amiri Baraka

“A rich man told me recently that a liberal is a man who tells other people what to do with their money.”

People Men Money Rich Rich Man

Author:Amiri Baraka

“A system that warehouses people is not the cure for social ills”

People Social Cures Warehouse

Author:Amiri Baraka

“The landscape should belong to the people who see it all the time.”

People Should Landscape Ownership

Book:Home: Social Essays

Source: Home: Social Essays

“Atheist Jews double crossers stole our [black people’s] secrets. . . . They give us to worship a dead Jew and not ourselves . . . . Selling fried potatoes and people, the little arty bastards talking arithmetic they sucked from the arab’s head.”

People Giving Littles Black Secret Talking Worship Atheist Jew Selling Black People Potatoes Arithmetic

Author:Amiri Baraka

“I'd say I'm a revolutionary optimist. I believe that the good guys -the people- are going to win.”

People Believe Guy Winning I Believe Revolutionary Optimist Good Guy

Author:Amiri Baraka

“All thinking people oppose terrorism both domestic & international but one should not be used to cover the other”

People Thinking Should Used International Terrorism

Author:Amiri Baraka

“When I die, the consciousness I carry I will to black people. May they pick me apart and take the useful parts, the sweet meat of my feelings. And leave the bitter bullshit rotten white parts alone.”

People May Feelings Dies Black White Consciousness Sweet Picks Bitter Meat Black People Bullshit Rotten Pick Me

Author:Amiri Baraka

“The artist's role is to raise the consciousness of the people. To make them understand life, the world and themselves more completely. That's how I see it. Otherwise, I don't know why you do it.”

People Knows World Artist Consciousness Roles Raises

Author:Amiri Baraka

About the Author

Born: October 7, 1934
Died: January 9, 2014
Known for: Writer
Quotes: 54

Books & Sources

Home: Social EssaysRelated source material

S O S: Poems 1961-2013Related source material

Black Magic: Sabotage, Target Study, Black Art: Collected Poetry, 1961-1967Related source material

Three books by Imamu Amiri Baraka (Leroi Jones).Related source material

Daggers and javelins: essays, 1974-1979Related source material

Digging: The Afro-American Soul of American Classical MusicRelated source material

Raise, Race, Rays, Raze: Essays Since 1965Related source material

Selected poetry of Amiri Baraka/LeRoi JonesRelated source material

Somebody Blew Up America and Other PoemsRelated source material

System of Dante's HellRelated source material

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