Amiri Baraka was an African-American writer, essayist, playwright and music critic, known for his abstruse writing style which has often been difficult for the readers to comprehend. His poems and essays mostly reflected the social issues concerning African-Americans and he was also famous as the founder of the ‘Black Arts Movement’. His writings encompassed African-American music viz. Jazz and Blues and their history. His political standpoint changed several times as he went from being a part of the avant-garde ‘Beat Generation’, to being a Black Nationalist. His prolific career was also marred with several controversies, especially owing to his anti-Semitic poems and articles. He was also known for his upfront views and blunt comments on political matters like national oppression and racism. Apart from writing, he was also hailed for his social commitment and was bestowed with several prestigious literary awards and honors. Baraka had also taught at several universities and had played a powerful role in defining ‘Black Literature’ thereby inspiring countless others. Along with James Baldwin, Baraka was also one of the most published Black writers of his generation.