Benjamin Zephaniah: revolting into style, words & appearance
Benjamin Zephaniah whose untimely death at 65 has been reported was someone who revolted into style.
His words on the page but also often spoken, more often than not on a demonstration or protest, as much as a performance stage were powerful. Critical of authority, of racism, of oppression whether South Africa or Palestine.
In the 1980s when he started out, and as a socialist activist, I encountered him often, he was placed in the performance poet genre. He became more than that, a figure of a cultural resistance to all that is shit in British society.
He was also, on a slightly lighter note, a regular feature of Beard Liberation Front award lists. The words were key but his appearance-dreadlocks and idiosyncratic beard- sent a signal. He was not a clean shaven member of the Establishment, literary or otherwise.
Above all, and no doubt the temptations were there- he turned down an MBE- he did not sell out. He remained always on our side.
BLF Organiser, Keith Flett, December 7th
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