Amiri Baraka, 79, passed away on January 9, 2014. Baraka was born in 1934 in Newark, NJ as LeRoi Jones and was one of the most influential cultural figures of the 20th century. He was an award-winning playwright, poet, fiction writer, essayist, and political activist, producing dozens of books, plays, and recordings. Baraka received numerous awards during his lifetime, including both an Obie and an American Academy of Arts and Letters Award in 1984. He was dubbed poet laureate of New Jersey from 2002-2003. He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Amina Baraka, and their two daughters, Obie Award-winning playwright Dominique and Lisa; and four grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his former partner, Hettie Jones, and his son with Jones, writer-journalist Kell.