(born 1934) One of the most original African American poets, playwrights and cultural critics to emerge from the 1960s, as well as a leading political advocate of black cultural nationalism. Under his birth name, LeRoi Jones, he gained notoriety in 1964 when four of his plays were produced offBroadway in New York City, NY. His poems and plays constituted an eloquent assault on the racism in mainstream American society. Blues People (1963), a volume of essays focusing on African American music, had a profound impact on Black Studies, helping transform analysis of black cultural traditions during and after slavery. Since 1967 he has published under his African name, been a leading force behind the 1972 National Black Political Convention in Gary Indiana, and undertaken housing ventures in his hometown of Newark, NJ.