George Edward Tait facts for kids

George Edward Tait (December 29, 1943 – November 5, 2017) was an amazing American poet, writer, and teacher. He was also a storyteller, journalist, and activist. Many knew him as the "Poet Laureate of Harlem." He was an important part of the Black Arts Movement. This movement celebrated Black culture and art.

George Tait wrote books like At Arms and The Baker's Dozen. He also led a music and poetry group called Black Massical Music. This group performed from 1972 to 1977. He also started The Society of Afrikan Poets. He believed that music was "the poetry of sound." He passed away on November 5, 2017.

Tait spent over 35 years writing and teaching. He was famous for his poetry readings and workshops. He taught writing at many places. These included universities, community centers, and libraries.

Early Life and Education

George E. Tait was born in Oakland, California. He grew up in the famous neighborhood of Harlem, New York City.

He graduated from Pace University in 1968. He earned a degree in English. He also studied French literature. While at Pace, he was part of the university's literary society.

A Career in Words and Teaching

After college, George Tait became an English teacher. He taught at Queens College in New York City. He published his book Sword Songs: Selected Poetry in 2010.

In 1975, he started The Society of Afrikan Poets. This group held weekly poetry readings called "Black Words." These popular events lasted for seven years, until 1982. Many famous artists, poets, and thinkers shared their work there. Some of these included Jayne Cortez, Amiri Baraka, and Sonia Sanchez.

George Tait was honored with many titles. He was the Poet Laureate of Harlem. He was also the Poet-in-Residence at the Langston Hughes Library. This showed how important his poetry was to his community.

From 1981 to 1986, he taught at Malcolm-King College in New York City. During this time, he published his first book of poems, At War, in 1983.

Activism and Community Work

George Tait was also an activist. In 1990, he helped organize boycotts in Brooklyn. These were part of the "Buy Black Campaign." This campaign encouraged people to support Black-owned businesses.

His writing also appeared in other books. In 2001, he contributed to Bum Rush The Page: A Def Poetry Jam. He was also published in Dance Giant Steps in 2003.

Poetry and Inspiration

George Edward Tait wrote beautiful poems. He often wrote about love and purpose. Here are some lines from his poems:

From "Midnight Rounds," a poem for his wife, Akosua: "Out of the nucleus of nature she is a nimbus in the night Her vintage voice filling the vaporized void with veracity."

From "A Dance for Akosua": "Let us dance, my dear: Dance with purpose and power Dance with productivity and pride Dance with the passion of Providence & with the potency of prayer."

He also wrote "Swashbuckler's Song," which talks about the power of words: "The pen is longer than the sword Is what the jurists think; The pen is stronger than the sword Is what the purists think. So I duly dip my pen in blood While I soak my sword in ink".