Poet, activist Louis Reyes Rivera ¡presente!

By Sue Davis

Mar 9, 2012

Poet, essayist, editor, teacher, radio host, political activist and union organizer, Louis Reyes Rivera willingly served as a bridge between African- and Latino/a-American communities. No wonder his unexpected death on March 2 in Brooklyn, N.Y., initiated a crescendo of accolades and reminiscences from those communities as well as many cultural and activist groups.

Called "the dean of Nuyorica Poetica," Rivera was an internationally recognized poet, with four books translated into Russian, Latvian, Spanish and Italian. The Latin American Writers Institute gave his “Scattered Scripture” its 1997 poetry award. Rivera had just completed his epic poem, “Jazz in Jail,” and was in the process of preparing it for publication.

Rivera began reading his poetry at jazz festivals and clubs in 1996 and appeared on the Peabody award-winning HBO show, “Def Poetry Jam.” At his last public appearance on Feb. 11, Rivera was the featured poet at the American Jazz Museum’s Black History Month Salute to Jazz Poetry in Kansas City, Mo.

The poet received dozens of awards, including a New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship (2003), a Lifetime Achievement Award (1995), a Special Congressional Recognition Award (1988) and the City College of New York 125th Anniversary Medal (1973) — each of which recognized his scholarship and impact on contemporary literature. Rivera’s essays and poems appeared in numerous publications and several award-winning book collections, including “In Defense of Mumia” and “ALOUD: Live from the Nuyorican Poets Café.”

Over the past 40 years, Rivera assisted in the publication of well over 200 books, including Adal Maldonado's “Portraits of the Puerto Rican Experience” (1984), John Oliver Killens' “Great Black Russian” (1989), “Bum Rush the Page: A Def Poetry Jam” (2001), co-edited with Tony Medina, and “The Bandana Republic” (2008).

Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., on May 19, 1945, Rivera began studying the craft of writing in1960 and was a leader in the successful struggle for “open enrollment” and against racism at City College of New York in 1969. He also founded the ongoing student publication, The Paper, there.

After graduation in 1969, Rivera started teaching and his influence has spanned several generations. He has been a distinguished professor of creative writing, Pan-African and Nuyorican literature, African-American culture and history, and Caribbean and Puerto Rican history at a number of colleges in the New York area.

A political activist as well as a cultural icon, Rivera participated in many progressive movements and activities. For many years, Rivera hosted the radio talk and interview show, “Perspectives,” on New York’s WBAI 99.5 FM. After joining the National Writers Union (United Auto Workers Local 1981), he soon became chair of the New York chapter in 2004, and co-hosted two Writers for Mumia programs, with founder Sue Davis, to demand freedom for longtime political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal. Most recently, Rivera supported the establishment of the Freedom Party, which ran candidates in the 2010 New York state election.

Revered by all who knew him, this word warrior — a contemporary griot, that is, a storyteller, praise singer, poet and musician in the West African storyteller tradition — will sorely be missed. But his insightful, compassionate, fighting words will live on to inspire future generations.

Louis Reyes Rivera, ¡presente!