Art as Activism: The Black Art Movement in America

Image Credit: Amiri Baraka by David Sasaki via Wikimedia Commons

Contributing Writer Ondrej Kriz discusses the Black Arts Movement in America and the power of art in political activism

The “Swinging Sixties” was a turbulent decade marked by social change, political unrest, and alternative thinking. The post-war generation was collectively rejecting previous societal norms and promoting more liberal and innovative ways of life. 

On February 21 1965, African-American Civil Rights Movement activist Malcolm X was assassinated in New York. The death of a prominent political leader sent shockwaves throughout the black community. It prompted African-American poet and author Amiri Baraka to resettle from the Lower East Side (New York City) to Harlem, where he founded the Black Arts Repertory Theatre (BART), and gave life to one of the most consequential cultural movements in American history; The Black Arts Movement. 

The plays performed in Baraka’s theatre broke away from the racist patterns that previously prevented Black artists from self-expression, and pointed out the systemic racial inequalities in American society. The anti-white establishment sentiments within the organisation started to attract unwanted scrutiny from the FBI, which, along with insufficient funding, led to the demise of the theatre less than a year after it opened. However, several other theatres and art institutions emerged nationwide and followed BART in sharing a message of black liberation and equality through their art. The cornerstones of the Black Arts Movement were laid.

Despite its enormous cultural significance, the Black Arts Movement would not exist without its connection to the broader political movement of that era, the Black Power Movement. The aim of the movement was not only to achieve social equality but also to establish more autonomy for African-Americans. Leaders, such as Malcolm X or Stokey Carmichael, aimed to found institutions and organisations that would secure power and greater sovereignty for the Black community.

Soon, the movement spread beyond American borders and focused on the struggles of Black people worldwide and the fight against colonialism. Mainstream American society saw the political views of the Black Power Movement as radical, and therefore, the FBI and other government authorities frequently clashed with the movement itself. The Black Arts Movement was essentially an artistic section of Black Power, which focused on creative emancipation and intended to recognise and elevate the beauty of African-American art. 

Springing from literature, theatre, and music, the Black Arts Movement not only changed society's perception of Black art but also proved that art and politics are closely interconnected. The main objective of the movement was to incentivise pride among African-Americans for their Black heritage, and to show their wide range of talents to the rest of the world. The movement illustrated the daily struggles of Black people in America and the need for change. Simultaneously, it gave Black audiences hope and evoked pride among the community. The movement founded several public institutions, such as the previously mentioned Black Arts Repertory Theatre, academic journal The Black Scholar, or the Negro Digest (later Black World) magazine, publishing the newest literary works of Black writers. 

The most prominent figure of the movement remains to be Amiri Baraka, and the Black Arts Repertory Theatre. Baraka’s work in literature was sparking controversy due to its provocative nature, and at the end of the decade, Baraka travelled to Cuba and decided to embrace the political involvement of the local writers. Upon returning to the United States, he changed the course of his work and became involved in the fight against oppression and racism in American society. His major play, The Slave, examined the tension between white and Black Americans and highlighted the self-hatred many African-Americans were suffering from. 

The female face of the Black Arts Movement is writer, poet, and activist, Audre Lorde. Her work transcended the political efforts of her movement itself because Lorde not only lobbied for racial equality but also the interconnected rights of the LGBTQIA+ community. Being a queer Black woman, the American writer faced unique challenges and openly discussed them in her writings.

Although the Black Arts Movement unravelled in the mid-1970s, its message of Black liberation, racial equality, and pride of African origin reverberates through Black artistic and literary circles to this day. The writers, poets, actors, and musicians who came to light in the mid-sixties paved the way for, and continue to inspire, countless artists today. 

Fashion designer Jae Jarrell is one of many examples of artists who built upon the work of the Black Arts Movement. She is one of the co-founders of AFRICOBRA, a fashion and visual artist group based in Chicago since the late 1960s. Jarrell designed a Revolutionary Suit, representing the power and resilience of Black women around the world. Presently, she is not only involved in fashion production but also sculpturing and furniture design. 


In Ireland, Black artists and talent continue to break through and pave the way for future generations. Young R&B singer Aby Coulibaly is on her way to starry success; Coulibaly was featured as one of Hot Press’s ‘Hot for 2022’ Irish Acts, whilst her 2020 debut single, Taurus, was listed on RTÉ 2FM’s Rising List. Perhaps her greatest success yet, or at least the one she seems to be the most proud of, is her series of opening performances at the Coldplay concerts in Croke Park this summer, from August 29th until September 2, where she fulfilled her life-long dream. Her newest song Glow, released this August, received nationwide recognition and put her on track to become one of the most celebrated modern Irish music artists.