Useni Eugene Perkins – The Chicago born, distinguished and prolific poet, playwright and a champion in improving the lives of disadvantaged young people.
Poetry from the Masters: Black Arts Movement is forward by poet and publisher, Haki Madhubuti of Third World Press. It is edited by Useni Eugene Perkins – a prolific poet, playwright, and a champion in improving the lives of disadvantaged young people. Cover illustration is by Stephen J. Hudson.
Poetry from the Masters: Black Arts Movement is dedicated in memory of Ruwa Chiri, Sigmonde Wimberly and Cynthia Conley – poets who also contributed to the Black Arts Movement.
In Perkins’ Poetry from the Masters: Black Arts Movement, the dynamic Black Arts Movement (BAM) is explored through selections of poetry written by the most significant poets of the period. Poems are accompanied by biographies that discuss the scope and content of each writer’s work, as well as his or her historical significance and impact on the literary world.
According to Haki Madhubuti, “The Black Arts Movement artist and writer clearly hit the ground running in the United 
Poetry from the Masters: Black Arts Movement by Useni Eugene Perkins
The Black Arts Movement spanned less than two decades, but left an indelible mark on African-American literature. Considered one of the most controversial and creative periods in the history of African-American literature, it inspired and reflected the political and social activism of the 1960s and 1970s. Energy generated from members of the Black Arts Movement challenged societal ideals, provoked the body of politics, created innovative written and performance styles and produced powerful works by some of the country’s most outstanding poets and writers.
“During the highly political, dangerous and defining decades of the 1960s and 1970s, America experienced two wars: one fought in Viet Nam and the other fought in America’s urban communities and in its universities. On university campuses across the country, Black literature punctured holds in its perceived literary canon as its legions of gatekeepers tried desperately to destroy the existence of any literature outside of its well-defined perimeters. In other words, if White men didn’t write, publish teach, and analyze it, it – Black feminist, and others did not exist,” Haki Madhubuti.
The value of this collection, Poetry from the Masters: Black Arts Movement is in keeping with the underlying meaning of the Black Arts Movement. This volume clearly builds upon the premise that self-definition leads to critical self-awareness, which generally stimulates decisive action when confronting political, economic disparities and especially when confronting historically negative images of Black people.
Poets of the Black Arts Movement:
Amiri Baraka
Mari Evans
Nikki Giovanni
Angela Jackson
Etheridge Knight
Last Poets
Haki Madhubuti
Larry Neal
Sterling Plumpp
Eugene Redmond
Carolyn Rogers
Kalamu Ya Salaam
Sonia Sanchez
Askia Muhammad Toure
Quincy Troupe
Poetry from the Masters: Black Arts Movement is published by Just Us Books and can be found at all good bookstores.
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I had read a previous book by Mr. Perkins – “Home Is a Dirty Street: The Social Oppression of Black Children,” he is an excellent writer.
I will definitely purchase his latest book -”Poetry from the Masters: Black Arts Movement.”
Thanks for your African American authors category.