Parity, Me and Amiri B.
Yvette Heyliger
Abstract
This is an excerpt of a poem called, SOS, written by poet, playwright, activist and creator of the Black Arts movement, Amiri Baraka. When I first read the poem, I felt its pull but was hesitant to answer, not knowing if I could count myself as "one of the called." I spent many years of my life—well into adulthood—trying to undo the notion that I was "not black enough." Parity, Me and Amiri B. examines my evolution as an artist and how I came to claim this "call" as my birthright; how through my newfound work as a solo performer I came to build a bridge to Baraka, whose Black Arts Movement unwittingly played a role in my comeuppance. . .
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