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Prior to 1965, few white Americans outside of Los Angeles were aware of the community of Watts - an enclave of working class African-Americans just south of the skyscrapers of downtown. Forty square blocks of shops, churches, parks and families with a unique cultural and economic base were slowly deteriorating under the outside pressures of “urban renewal”, “progress,” and the overall population growth of the greater Los Angeles area. In the 1950’s, Watts supported an astonishing array of creative endeavors. Seminal artists like Ornette Coleman, Charlie Mingus, and Don Cherry gave birth to much of their artistic legacy in the small clubs and theatres along Central Avenue in the community of Watts. The anonymity of Watts in the 1950’s and early 60’s was lost forever after the explosive confrontation between the community and a Los Angeles police force in 1965. Walter Cronkite and a vast America called it the Watts Riots. For the community it was more a rebellion - the inevitable confrontation with what they experienced as an occupying army. However one sees it now, the event brought the community of Watts to the consciousness of all America and sustains it there now - more than thirty years later. Out of the smoke and ashes, the process of rebuilding included the efforts of Budd Schulberg, (Academy Award-wining screenwriter for On the Waterfront) to create in his Watts Writer’s Workshop, an opportunity for local citizens to express themselves and their culture by encouraging art and literacy. It was the Watts Writer’s Workshop that bore the Watts Prophet was born. The Watts Prophets are Richard Dedeux, Amde Hamilton and Otis O’Solomon who live, work and create in Watts, California, something they have done for more than thirty years. In 1967, these three, the best of the students in the prestigious Watts Writers Workshop, won their first amateur talent contest as a nameless group. But then, after they recited/chanted/ spoke/sung/witnessed their unique jazz-accompanied topical poem, an audience member - dazzled by their performance - shouted, “They must be the Watts Prophets!” The earliest work by the twenty-something aged poets (as documented in their earliest recordings) was an expression of their rage against powerlessness. Racism, poverty, and violence were their everyday reality and provided the thematic foundation for what become a very unique style - what many today acknowledge as the roots of rap. Amde Anthony Hamilton Upon joining
the Watts Writer’s
Worshop under Budd Schulberg (What Makes Sammy Run, Oscar for
On The Waterfront), Mr. Hamilton entered into a new phase in
his life and emerged as one of The Watts Prophets. Success
was fleeting and Otis O’Solomon Mr. O’Solomon, too, became one of
The Watts Prophets after the Watts Writer’s Worshop.
Once the initial success had passed Mr. O’Solomon embarked
on a career in the arts, editing and designing a book of original
poetry from The Watts Richard Anthony Dedeaux After first few years as one of The Watts
Prophets, Mr. Dedeaux started working as a free lance producer
for KCET, KNBC and other stations. He had a stint as a Creative
Writing Instructor for the Los Angeles City Schools, the Mafundi
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more emotionally satisfying than financially
remunerative. After the first flush, Mr. Hamilton spent a year
teaching poetry at San Francisco State, but quickly came back
to his roots in Watts doing social work with the Brotherhood
Crusade, then in various capacities in numerous programs -
e.g., Coodinator of special programs at Drew Postgraduate Medical
School, Associate Director of Black Commission on Alcoholism,
then as president of Classic Cut (contractors) and as a youth
counselor. During all this time, Mr. Hamilton kept his art
alive and when a new generation of African-American poetics
began to emerge attention was once again focussed on the Watts
Prophets. London Records came round with a contract and tours
were arranged. But the Prophets had grown and now seek to bring
their special art to an audience which needs and deserves their
experience and their wisdom.
Prophets
work and other poets, writing for the Los Angeles TImes, producing
poetry exhibitions and
contests under the banner of his company, Artistic Heart; and
presenting programs on Black History for Xerox, TRW, Rockwell,
and Hughes Aircraft. He wrote the commentary material for song
books on Quincy Jones, Marvin Hamlisch, Cannonball Adderly,
and worked in television, film and the music world. During
all this time, Mr. O’Solomon was honing his special art
and when a new generation of African-American poetics began
to emerge attention was once again focussed on the Watts Prophets.
London Records came round with a contract and tours were arranged.
But the Prophets had grown and now seek to bring their special
art to an audience which needs and deserves their experience
and their wisdom.
Institute
in Watts, and at the Pasadena Community Center. He has acted
with the Irish Repertoire Theater and other organizations
and toured the country reading poetry, and appearing opposite
Richard Pryor, Marvin Gaye, Minnie Riperton, Stevie Wonder.
During all this time, Mr. O’Solomon was honing his special
art and when a new generation of African-American poetics began
to emerge attention was once again focussed on the Watts Prophets.
London Records came round with a contract and tours were arranged.
But the Prophets had grown and now seek to bring their special
art to an audience which needs and deserves their experience
and their wisdom.