Invite Marvin X to Speak

One of the founders of the Black Arts Movement,

father of Muslim American literature, Dr. Mohja Kahf

the USA's Rumi, Bob Holman

undisputed king of black consciousness, Dr. Nathan Hare
Received writing awards from Columbia University,

National Endowments for the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities


Marvin X (Marvin E Jackmon) [El Muhajir]

Contact: Marvin X, 510-355-6339, jmarvinx @yahoo.com


Marvin X (Marvin E Jackmon) [El Muhajir]. Somethin' Proper: The Life and Times of a North American African Poet, Berkeley, CA: Black Bird P 1998 278 pp $29.95.
Marvin X's autobiography Somethin' Proper is one of the significant works to come out of the Black Arts Movement of the 1960s and 1970s. It sums up the story of perhaps the most important African American Muslim bard to appear in the United States during the Civil Rights era. It opens with an introduction by scholar Dr. Nathan Hare, an iconic figure in the founding of Black Studies.
Marvin X then takes center stage with an exploration of his life, juxtaposed with the rapidly changing movements of contemporary history: Civil Rights, the Black Arts Movement, Black Power and especially Elijah Muhammad's Nation of Islam.
Marvin X was born Marvin E Jackmon in Fowler California, May 29, 1944, and grew up in West Fresno and West Oakland, California. His early education was in these cities, and he later attended Oakland City College (Merritt) and San Francisco State University, where he was awarded a B.A. and an M.A. in English. He emerged as an important poetic voice among California black bards in the early 1960s, and wrote for several of the major Black Arts Movement journals of the period, including the Journal of Black Poetry, Soulbook, Black Dialogue, Black Theatre magazine, Black Scholar, Black World, and Muhammad Speaks. He was also a founding BAM playwright, working with Ed Bullins in Black Arts West Theatre in San Francisco, the Black House, also in San Francisco, with Bullins, Eldridge Cleaver, and Ethna Wyatt. 1968 he worked underground in Harlem, at the New Lafayette Theatre. He was historian and associate editor of Black Theatre Magazine, a publication of
the New Lafayette.
During the last forty years, Marvin X has taught Black Studies, literature, journalism, radio and television writing, technical writing, creative writing, drama, and English at Fresno State University, the University of California, Berkeley and San Diego, the University of Nevada, Reno, San Francisco State University, Mills, Merritt and Laney colleges in Oakland, California.

He recently did a national tour of his latest treatise Mythology of Pussy, a monograph black mothers and fathers are getting for their sons and daughters, despite the petit black bourgeoisie detractors.
Recent books include a memoir of Eldridge Cleaver, My friend the Devil, Black Bird Press, 2009, How to Recover from the Addiction to White Supremacy, BBP, 2007, Beyond Religion, toward Spirituality, BBP, 2006, Land of My Daughters, poems, 2005, Wish I could tell you the truth, BBP, 2005. His next book is The Wisdom of Plato Negro: A Hustler's Guide to the game called life, BBP, 2010.

Black Bird Press

1222 Dwight Way

Berkeley CA 94702

www.marvinxwrites.blogspot.com

jmarvinx@yahoo.com