Lauryn Hill Executive Produces New Documentary On The Legendary Baraka Family!

January 17, 2022 ruthmaxey1 418 Views african american black history, african American history, african American lifestyle, african American oppression, arts, biopicr.i.p., black nationalist, cap, congress of african people, freedom fighter, imamu amiri baraka, imamu amiri baraka african American native Newark new jersey writer of poetry drama fiction essays music criticism black nationalist human rights activist, Lauryn Hill To Executive Produce New Documentary On The Legendary Baraka Family, movies, oren moberman American screenwriter, oren moverman, the arts unplugged, the baraka family, the performing arts, why is we americans 2022 documentary

Yahoo.com, By Shannon Dawson-MADAMENOIRE, Posted January 17th 2022

The legendary Lauryn Hill teamed up with screenwriter Oren Moverman to executive produce a new documentary that will take a close look at Newark’s prominent Baraka family. The new doc titled Why Is We Americans? will explore Newark’s struggle with oppression through the lens of the Baraka family’s decades-long involvement within social activism, poetry, music, and politics.

The late Amiri Baraka was a famous playwright and poet widely celebrated for spearheading the Black Arts Movement in 1965. Through activism and art, BAM created new cultural institutions and conveyed a message of black pride that was revolutionary. By his side stood the revered Amina Baraka, a dancer, writer, and community organizer, who was heavily involved in the Black Arts Movement and the matriarch that powered the artistically rich family.

**IMAMU AMIRI BARAKA POET WRITER PAN AFRICAN ACTIVIST AND FOUNDER OF THE CONGRESS OF AFRICAN PEOPLE**

Why Is We Americans? will also uncover the tragic death of Amiri’s sister Kimako, who was viciously stabbed to death in her Manhattan apartment, as well as the homicide of his daughter Shani, one of the first openly gay Black activists, in addition to the historic election of Ras Baraka as the mayor of Newark. The documentary will highlight the family’s legendary impact through “rare archival footage,” “revealing personal testimonials,” and on-camera interviews with Ms. Lauryn Hill herself, the doc’s distributor Corinth Films notes.

**1968 IMAMU AMIRE BARAKA WITH SECOND WIFE SILVIA ROBINSON**

“As we connect with the iconoclastic poet Amiri Baraka, his wife, Amina, and their son, the current mayor of Newark, Ras, a portrait of a city emerges with an inspiring call to arms in the fight for class and racial justice,” Amir Bogen, the executive director of The Lighthouse International Film Festival, said of the documentary. “From the Newark rebellion of 1967 to the current day, the city’s narrative has been one of revolution, with each generation picking up where the previous had left off.”

Why Is We Americans? is co-directed by award-winning director Udi Aloni of Junction 48 and Ayana Morris. The film will premiered at the IFC Center in New York City on Jan. 14, with an additional stop at LA’s Pan African Film Festival in February, The Film Stage notes.