Haki Madhubuti -- the revolutionary poet, critic and essayist -- "attempts to give all Blacks a sense of unity, purpose, and direction, so that they may finally finish their "history" on a successful note," says Marlene Mosher, literary critic. For Madhubuti, his poetry is "like a razor; it's sharp and will cut deep, not out to wound but to kill the inactive Black mind." Madhubuti, originally named Don L. Lee, was born in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1942 and raised in Detroit, Michigan. He started writing poetry in the early sixties. In 1963, Madhubuti enrolled at Crane Junior College, eventually obtaining an M.A. in Fine Arts from the University of Iowa. After his two successful books, Thinking Black (1967) and Black Pride (1968), he resolved to make a full-time writer of himself. From 1970 to 1978, he was a writer-in residence at Howard University.

At Howard, he taught the Black cultural value system that he thought African Americans should adopt. To help fledgling writers receive literary recognition, in 1967 he founded the Third World Press. In addition, he was the executive director of the Institute of Positive Education.

In Black communities where Madhubuti read his poetry, he was hailed as one of the leading Black Nation Builders. His street-talking staccato style was loved by many. "His lines rumble like a street gang on the page," observes critic Liz Gant. "His startling metaphor, variations of refrain, unexpected turns-of-phrases, wordplay, and staccato repetitions combine to produce an impact that keeps audiences spellbound." The number of books he has sold in Black communities reflects his success and popularity as a poet. In 1971, he sold more books of poetry (approximately 250,000 copies) than probably all the Black poets who came before him combined.

Essay by Alain Joseph of Howard University

In 1973, he began writing as Haki Madhubuti, a name meaning "Justice, Awakening, Strong" in Swahili.

Literary Works:
Think Black! (1967)
Black Pride (1968)
Don't Cry, Scream (1969)
We Walk the Way of the New World (1970)
Directionscore: Selected and New Poems (1971)
Book of Life (1973)
Killing Memory, Seeking Ancestors (1987)
Black Men: Obsolete, Single, Dangerous? (The African American Family in Transition) (1990)