By Amy Wicker

The Black Arts Movement occurred during the 1960’s and early 1970’s; it was a time of African Americans joining forces and providing a unified front. During this time the idea of Black Power was a very influential factor. African American poets were embracing their culture and heritage and speaking directly to their peers.

Nikki Giovanni’s poem Beautiful Black Men embraced African American sexuality on multiple levels. She describes the places the men like to hangout and the clothes they wear and then continues on to mention musical artists like Jerry Butler, Wilson Pickett, and the Temptations. She praises these black men and discusses that all they have to do is walk out on stage and she is screaming and shouting because she is so overjoyed to see them. Giovanni’s ode to black men is definitely not one that would have been written during the times of slavery. It is a poem that shows a side of African American culture that was not shown in previous years.
In his introduction to Think Black Haki R.Madhubuti wrote:
America calling.
negroes.
can you dance?
play football/baseball?
nanny?
cook?
needed now. negroes
who can only entertain
ONLY.
others not
wanted.
(& are considered extremely dangerous.)

I love this little excerpt because it clearly demonstrates what the general public thought of African Americans. It explains stereotypes of both genders; women were thought to only cook and nanny and men were thought to be athletes or dancers. They were not looked at as individuals with families at home and hardworking Americans but as entertainers. Madhubuti was clearly acknowledging what white society thought of blacks and calling them out to these views. African Americans were writing for themselves; they were embracing their individuality and calling for a unification of their peers through all they had in common.

Giovanni and Madhubti were only two of the many authors who were embracing the sexuality and individuality of their people. During the Blacks Art’s Movement these authors were putting the attitudes of blacks across the nation on paper.