![]() Nikki Giovanni, a participant in the Black Arts Movement | |
Years active | 1965–1975 (approx.)[1] |
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Location | United States |
Major figures |
This article is part of a series about |
Black power |
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The Black Arts Movement (BAM) was an African American-led art movement that was active during the 1960s and 1970s.[3] Through activism and art, BAM created new cultural institutions and conveyed a message of black pride.[4] The movement expanded from the incredible accomplishments of artists of the Harlem Renaissance.
Famously referred to by Larry Neal as the "aesthetic and spiritual sister of Black Power",[5] BAM applied these same political ideas to art and literature.[6] and artists found new inspiration in their African heritage as a way to present the black experience in America. Artists like Aaron Douglas, Hale Woodruff, and Meta Vaux Warrick Fuller pioneered the movement with a distinctly modernist aesthetic.[7] This style influenced the proliferation of African American art during the twentieth century.
The poet and playwright Amiri Baraka is widely recognized as the founder of BAM.[8] In 1965, he established the Black Arts Repertory Theatre School (BART/S) in Harlem.[9] Baraka's example inspired many others to create organizations across the United States.[4] While many of these organizations were short-lived, their work has had a lasting influence. Some still exist, including the National Black Theatre, founded by Barabara Ann Teer in Harlem, New York.
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: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of May 2024 (link)