BLACK BIRD PRESS TO PUBLISH FIRST BOOK OF POETRY AND DRAWINGS BY
MRS. AMINA BARAKA
Poet/singer/activist Mrs. Amina Baraka and poet/editor/publisher Marvin X
Mrs. Amina Baraka, widow of BAM co-founder Amiri Baraka, has agreed to have Marvin X's Black Bird Press publish her first book of poetry. Marvin X says, "I am honored Amina will let my little press publish her first book of poetry. She allowed me to read her material shortly after Amiri joined the ancestors. It is powerful. As far as I'm concerned, she's the Winnie Mandela of North American African poetry. Amiri was like Nelson, but Amina don't take no stuff. During Oakland's upcoming virtual Bamfest, Black August 2020, Marvin X will have a Zoom conversation with Mrs. Baraka who is also a singer and activist. He will also interview Umar Ben Hasan of the Last Poets, poet Sonia Sanchez, Michael Satchell, author of the film script TARIK and Brother Kumasi, a founder of Black August and griot of the Black Prison Movement.
Mrs. Amina Baraka, widow of BAM co-founder Amiri Baraka, has agreed to have Marvin X's Black Bird Press publish her first book of poetry. Marvin X says, "I am honored Amina will let my little press publish her first book of poetry. She allowed me to read her material shortly after Amiri joined the ancestors. It is powerful. As far as I'm concerned, she's the Winnie Mandela of North American African poetry. Amiri was like Nelson, but Amina don't take no stuff. During Oakland's upcoming virtual Bamfest, Black August 2020, Marvin X will have a Zoom conversation with Mrs. Baraka who is also a singer and activist. He will also interview Umar Ben Hasan of the Last Poets, poet Sonia Sanchez, Michael Satchell, author of the film script TARIK and Brother Kumasi, a founder of Black August and griot of the Black Prison Movement.
In a recent conversation with Mrs. Baraka, she informed Marvin X that there has been no violence in Newark, NJ., in the aftermath of the police killing of George Floyd. Thankfully, her son, Mayor Ras Baraka, has transformed the Newark Police Department into a model of officers who truly serve and protect. "It's kind of frightening, "said Mrs. Baraka, "They don't act like police! You don't know what to think when police smile at you."
FYI, in February of this year, I was on a book tour and when I arrived in Newark, all the people, yes, literally, all the people I spoke with said they are so relieved the Ras Baraka administration has taken police pressure off them for the first time in their lives! Before I departed Newark, I interviewed the Mayor and his brother, Middy Baraka, Jr., Chief of Staff at City Hall. As I said of his mother, Ras said we just don't take no stuff from our officers. They must walk the beat before patrolling in their cars. In a separate interview with Chief of Staff, Middy, Jr., he said,"My brother has to be diplomatic because he has an elected position. I'm not elected so if they police do wrong, I can chop their heads!"
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Left to right: Amiri Middy Baraka, Jr., Chief of Staff, Marvin X and Ras
Baraka, Mayor of Newark, NJ
After observing the Newark Police Model, I have suggested it to political officials in Bay Area cities, but when I told them to invite Mayor Ras Baraka to the Bay Area I got no response. Someone asked me why do i think there was no response? I say it is because some people don't want solutions to problems, they get too many benefits from the problem!
Baraka, Mayor of Newark, NJ
After observing the Newark Police Model, I have suggested it to political officials in Bay Area cities, but when I told them to invite Mayor Ras Baraka to the Bay Area I got no response. Someone asked me why do i think there was no response? I say it is because some people don't want solutions to problems, they get too many benefits from the problem!
--Marvin X
Editor/Publisher
Black Bird Press