American Literature

All of us have decent background about the tortuous and agonizing history of the Blacks struggle for equal treatment and regard in the United States. The bravery and unflagging spirit of the Blacks are one of the several things which readily come to mind in speaking of that fight sustained by them during those years. Before Barack Obama stepped into the scene and animated the hopeful possibility for change, many Black movements were already formed and forged to advance the cause of the Black Americans in the United States.

Particularly, the Black Aesthetic Movement aimed to promote the arts made by the Blacks. This movement targeted to swarm the he central culture that was previously dominated by the productions of the Whites. In the movies, in the television, in music, and other fields of the arts, the Whites have predominated to maintain their current status and keep the Blacks moving at par with them.

But the Black Aesthetic movement gained wind and later, little pieces of Black voices began to spring into air, slowly conglomerating into a forceful mass of Black identity and sentiments. This force is evident in the three poems we have. In Beautiful black men, Nikki Giovanni depicts the Black culture without shame and hesitance. The poem was unapologetic in incorporating the Blacks manner of speech and jargons, impressing an obvious confidence. The poem is an undeniable celebration of ones having extreme pride of the Black culture.

Nikki-Rosa, on the other hand, spoke with a more vibrant tone of pride of ones being Black. The poem suggests an awareness of the discriminating treatment which Blacks are getting from other people. Yet, this awareness does not make them want to forsake their identity or feel ashamed of it.

Lastly, the poem by Amiri Baraka speaks with more dash and grit, openly interrogating the White culture with the aim of extirpating the barriers in color which the Blacks at the unfavorable end. It challenges he Whites and called on them to look at their selves first before pointing to others and judging them

Clearly, these poems prove to success of the Black Aesthetics Movement in terms of raising the Blacks voices and putting them nearer to Whites in that linear dimension where power certainly exists.