The Office of Student Life and Associated Student Body honored legendary poet and social activist Amiri Baraka with a special program titled “A Tribute to Amiri Baraka: A Major Dramatic, Poet, Essayist & Revolutionary of the 20th Century” at El Camino College Compton Center, previously Compton Community College, on Saturday, March 8, 2014.
The kodi kufaa (Swahili for fitting tribute) opened with the film, In Motion The Story of Amiri Baraka, featured an archival exhibit (Congo Square’s Aldon Kimbrough), spoken word by Still Waters Writers Collective and a presentations by Dominique Di Prima, Baraka’s daughter; Ayuko Babu, executive director of the Pan African Film Festival; Dr. Ikaweba Bunting; activist Molly Bell and many more.
Chochezi, retiring director of Student Development, says he owes his career to Baraka and he describes the late poet laureate a a “skilled political organizer who was a compassionate and a visionary.”
