On Karamo Muchuri Sulieman

 

Karamo Muchuri Sulieman is an African American poet, writer and political activist. He was born Irving Courtley Jones in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on September 2, 1955. In 1971, he and his mother, Elissia Ruth Jones, moved to Columbus, Ohio, where he attended and graduated from Columbus East High. In 1973 he was admitted to Morehouse College where he attended until 1976. At that time he transferred to Georgia State University where he graduated in 1978. In 1981, he graduated from Rutgers (Newark) School of Law. He also graduated from the University of the Arts, where he earned a Masters in Teaching the Visual Arts in 1998, and the Lutheran Theological Seminary, Urban Theological Institute earning a Masters of Divinity in 2005.

Karamo Muchuri Sulieman began writing poetry in high school in the 1970s. In 1988 he published his first poem Jumping Rope in The Lutheran Woman. He went on to publish, A Person’s Wish, The Homeless and Save Mumia in the San Fernando Poetry Journal in 1996. In 1997 he published his first book of poems Seasons. In 1999 he won an award of Honorable mention in the Mellen Poetry Contest. He considers himself a jazz poet. Karamo Muchuri Sulieman has been influenced by Toni Cade Bambera, James Baldwin, Gwendolyn Brooks, Sonia Sanchez, Haki Madhabuti, Amiri Baraka and Lamont Steptoe.  He has published several chapbooks of poetry; The Day I Had My Freedom ; N People Have Problems Growing Up In America; Graterford  ; In the Dark Silence ; Somethin’ Positive; New Poetry and  Black Migration . He has also published several poems on the internet. In addition to poetry, he has written two science fiction novels; Ramogalead and When the Dew Wets the Morning. He has also written and article and journal on his travel experience in Southern Africa.

In addition to poetry and writing Karamo Muchuri Sulieman is also a political activist. In 1998, he and other political activists founded the Black Radical Congress in Chicago. He also serves on the Executive Committee of the Philadelphia NAACP. He has also served as Assistant secretary of the Philadelphia NAACP from 2000-2002 and as an Executive Committee member of the Pennsylvania State NAACP from 2010-2012.Karamo Muchuri Sulieman has also served as the Philadelphia Chapter Chair of the National Writers Union, UAW Local 1981, AFL – CIO. He has served in that capacity since 2009.He has been very active in Local 1981. He has attended the National Writers Union Delegates Assembly in 2011 and 2013. He also served as member of the National Executive Board of the National Writers Union (NWU). He delivered the benediction at the memorial service for his friend and fellow poet Louis Reyes Rivera. He along with Loretta Campbell, Karen Ford, and Yusef Salaam have begun the task of rebuilding the Louis Reyes Rivera Committee( formerly known as SPIN) to encourage and support African American writers.  He has appeared at numerous events for the National Writers Union throughout the Philadelphia area; along with writer and NWU activist Tim Sheard. Karamo Muchuri Sulieman and his Philadelphia NWU chapter steering committee members, Ken Heard and John Mason have been very vocal and active in labor, peace, education and human rights. He has participated in several protests with the Brandywine Peace Committee. He is also a member of Veterans for Peace.

Karamo Muchuri Sulieman joined the Communist Party of the United States of America December 12, 1989. He was interview by the late Elsie Dickerson, the Chair of Eastern Pennsylvania and Delaware District of the Communist Party, and Beth Edelman who accepted his as a member of the Communist Party of the United States of America (CPUSA).He is still active in the Communist party. Currently he serves on the Religion Commission of the CPUSA and the Labor Commission of Communist Party of Eastern Pennsylvania and Delaware.