In the light of the recent emergence (or rather, enactment) of a novel social contract called “post-identity”, seen as a way of recognizing the value and potential of cultural diversity, we are going to talk about The Black Arts Movement, one of the most influential art groups from the 20th century.Īs part of a greater ideological movement called the Black Power, the African-American artists, poets, speakers, musicians and activists were joined in the wish to define the identity of Black people in America, and to resurge the Black Aesthetic, equally informed by the African tradition and the more recently established ideology influenced by the then-contemporary American life.īut before we proceed discussing the general atmosphere that the men and women of African descent had experienced in the 60’s, we must briefly touch upon the history of Black people in America, which will help explain the immense historical importance of the Black Arts Movement.īlack Power Rally (1966), from the Civil Rights Collectionīack in the 17th century, the American slave holders tried to distance the enslaved black people from their African heritage and tradition in order to secure their own authoritative positions and to maintain power.

Black arts movement poetry