Shatter the icons of slavery and fear. of the minstrel’s burnt-cork face and classic bronze of Benin. 1914) Born in Washington, D.C., Randall worked during the Depression in the foundry of the Ford Motor Company in Dearborn, Michigan, and then as a carrier and clerk for the U.S. Post Office in Detroit. He served in the U.S. Army Signal Corps (1942–1946), and graduated from Wayne State University (B.A., 1949) and the University of Michigan (M.A.L.S., 1951). He was a librarian at several universities, and founded the Broadside Press in 1965 "so black people could speak to and for their people." Randall told Negro Digest, "Precision and accuracy are necessary for both white and black writers....'A black aesthetic' should not be an excuse for sloppy writing." He urges African American writers to reject what was false in "white" poetry but not to forsake universal concerns in favor of a racial agenda. His works include On Getting a Natural (1969) and A Litany of Friends: New and Selected Poems (1981). He edited The Black Poets (1971), an extensive anthology of poetry, from slave songs to the present. Other Works: Ballad of BirminghamDefinitions:Benin - republic in western AfricaLeer - an unpleasantly lustful or malicious look or smileSerene - calm and untroubled: without worry, stress, or disturbanceMinstrel - blackface entertainer in variety show: one of a group of entertainers who wore blackface makeup and sang and performed in variety shows (a form of entertainment now usually considered racist and highly offensive) ...
