Amina Baraka (born Sylvia Robinson; December 5, 1942) is an American poet, actress, author, community organizer, singer, dancer, and activist.
It was a collective of artists, and among the members were Art Williams, Bill Harris, Eddie Gladden, and Tom White.
Local musicians and artists from other parts of the country came to the "Cellar", including Marion Brown, Sun Ra, Ben Caldwell, Freddie Stringer, Charlie Mason, Tyrone Washington, Woody Shaw, Herb Morgan, Jimmy Anderson, Leo Johnson, and Larry Young.
[6] Baraka along with Nettie Rogers hosted musical arts, dance acts, and poetry readings at the Cellar.
In 1983 and 1987, Amina and Amiri Baraka co-edited Confirmation: An Anthology of African American Women, and The Music: Reflections on Jazz and Blues.
In 1992, Amina and Amiri Baraka founded Kimako's Blues People, an art space that featured Newark artists.
[1] Stage productions in Amiri Baraka's A Black Mass, Slave Ship, Mad Heart, and Home on the Range.
In 2022, Amina Baraka received an Unsung Hero award from 211 Community Impact, a non-profit that was co-founded by Dupre' Kelly of Lords of the Underground.