Beyond Dead White Guys: Oscar Brown Jr.

When people think of poetry, they often think of dead white guys. Rock Star Poet is about advancing the idea of poetry beyond the dead white guys.

Mostly, I like to focus on modern poetry to show that it’s a living art. But, sometimes, it’s good to pay homage to those who are no longer with us.

Oscar Brown Jr. has appeared on Rock Star Poet before. I included a video of one of his Def Poetry Jam performances in my post about that television show.

Alas, Brown passed away in 2005, which means that he won’t be producing anymore of his incredible poetry. However, he inspired a generation of American poets—African-American and otherwise—and the work he produced in his life time remains relevant and powerful.

While much of his work focused on black civil rights, the broader themes of his poetry—fear, persecution, anger about the state of the world—can be appreciated by nearly anyone, regardless of race, colour, or creed.

Editor’s note: Sorry for incluing “I Apologize” again, instead of another poem that I haven’t published here before. I was going to include Brown’s poem “This Beach,” but the only video I could find had serious audio problems, so I opted to re-share this piece, instead.