Changes

Baraka's poetry contains many anti-Semitic and anti-white rantings. There are also a lot of profanity, and it is laden with misspellings, bad punctuation, and improper diction. Overall, his poetry looks more like [[gangsta rap]] to some people.

Baraka's poetry contains many anti-Semitic and anti-white rantings. There are also a lot of profanity, and it is laden with misspellings, bad punctuation, and improper diction. Overall, his poetry looks more like [[gangsta rap]] to some people.

Baraka was at the center of a controversy during his Poet Laureate tenure in 2003, over his poem "Somebody Blew Up America." In this poem, Baraka blames [[Israel]] under [[Ariel Sharon]] for the [[9/11 attacks]]. He also maligns [[Colin Powell]], [[Clarence Thomas]], and [[Condoleezza Rice]] in this same poem. Then-governor [[Jim McGreevey]] criticized Baraka's poem, but refused to fire him. In 2004 however, Baraka resigned.

Baraka was at the center of a controversy during his Poet Laureate tenure in 2003, over his poem "Somebody Blew Up America." In this poem, Baraka blames [[Israel]] under [[Ariel Sharon]] for the [[9/11 attacks]]. He also maligns [[Colin Powell]], [[Clarence Thomas]], and [[Condoleezza Rice]] in this same poem. Then-governor [[Jim McGreevey]] criticized Baraka's poem and attempted to remove him from the post, but found there was no legal way to do so. In 2003, legislation was passed allowing [[Jim McGreevey|Mcgreevey]] to abolish the title of New Jersey Poet Laureate, which he then did.  Baraka sued to reclaim the title but the court ruled that state officials were immune from such suits.  

[[Category: Poets]]

[[Category: Poets]]

[[Category: Black Nationalists]]

[[Category: Black Nationalists]]