Amiri Baraka

Amiri Baraka (1934-2014) was an American poet, playwright and music critic from Newark, New Jersey, first known as LeRoi Jones. He was a leading voice of the Black Arts Movement in the 1960s, and his books Blues People (1963) and Black Music are central texts on African American music and jazz. He also recorded his poetry with free jazz musicians. Amiri Baraka was born Everett Leroy Jones and died in Newark in January 2014.