What Were Jihad Productions and the Congress of African People?
Jihad Productions was a publishing press that ran from around 1967 to 1972. Based in Newark, New Jersey, Jihad Productions primarily published works focusing on black nationalism. One of the most frequent authors in Jihad Productions was Amiri Baraka, who was also from Newark.
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The Congress of African People was a black nationalist organization also based in Newark and led by none other than Amiri Baraka. Its purpose was to bring African-Americans together to form a political party that would strengthen black representation in politics and unite the black community as a whole, with the ultimate goal being the formation of a unified African nation. Several of Jihad Productions works allude to the Congress of African People, as the goals of the two organizations were essentially the same.
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The primary purpose of this website is to provide an archive of Baraka's works associated with Jihad Productions and the Congress of African People and to delve deeper into his involvement with the two groups. Below are some examples of his works, which existed in a variety of forms, such as poems, plays, and political pamphlets.
Spirit Reach is a collection of poems written by Baraka in 1972. The vast majority of the poems connect to a central theme of black nationalism and unity.
Slave Ship is a short play written by Baraka in 1967 that depicts the experiences and suffering of black people across several generations. Although this document is not from by Jihad Productions, the play itself was published by the press.
Beginning of National Movement is a political pamphlet written by Baraka in 1972 discussing the strategies and goals of the Congress of African People to create an effective and powerful black movement.
Who Was Amiri Baraka?
Originally named Everett Leroy Jones, Amiri Baraka was an American poet and playwright whose works focused on depicting the lives and feelings of black Americans in the 1960s-1970s United States. A graduate of Howard University and Columbia University, Baraka also served in the U.S. Air Force, where he was later dishonorably discharged from after being suspected of being a communist. His poetry career began in the 1950s, when he joined the Beat movement in Greenwich Village and became a member of the New York School of Art and Poetry, which consisted of writers such as Frank O'Hara and John Ashbery. He took on the name Amiri Baraka following the assassination of Malcolm X in 1965, and his work became far more controversial and focused on black nationalism. Baraka broke away from the New York School, believing the "liberal white arts scene to be fundamentally racist, even if it didn't want to be", and left his Jewish wife Hettie Jones. He then moved to Harlem, where he founded the Black Arts Repertory Theatre. After the company dissolved, Baraka returned to Newark, New Jersey, where he began publishing works through Jihad Productions and became the leader of the Congress of African People. Baraka's commitment to the ideals of black nationalism, exemplified by his involvement with the above organizations, only widened the distance between himself and his former New York School friends. Baraka's contributions as a co-founder of the Black Arts Movement, a revival and celebration of African culture through art that was viewed a the "spiritual sister" to the Black Power Movement, solidified his stature as one of the most impactful political leaders of the 20th century.
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References
1. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Amiri Baraka.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 12 Nov. 2019, www.britannica.com/biography/Amiri-Baraka.
2. Biography.com Editors. “Amiri Baraka.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 1 July 2019, www.biography.com/writer/amiri-baraka.
3. Quilter, Jenny. “New York School Painters & Poets: Neon in Daylight.” Rizzoli New York, Edited by Allison Power.
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