The Black Arts Movement

We call it “BAM” today

Poet Ntozake Shange, Reid Lecture, Women Issues Luncheon, Women’s Center, November 1978. Edited by Chris Woodrich — (Creative Commons License)

As a poet, I am mostly influenced by a period of African American literature known as “The Black Arts Movement.” I embrace all kinds of poetry and poetic influences stylistically and politically, but today, decades into writing poetry, “BAM” as it is now called, continues to help me find my way on the page, and on the stage.