The Poems are by Adonis, contemporary Arab poet, translated from Arabic by Emna Zghal. The Prophet of Black Folk refers to Ali Ibn Muhammad, leader of the Zanj Revolt, that occurred in 9th Century in Iraq. The leader of Zanj was a poet, some of his contemporaries wanted him to claim prophecy, but he said he couldn't bear such burden.
The Zanj revolt always carried strong symbols of defiance and empowerment in Arab culture. The Zanj people were brought from East Africa to clear salt from Iraq's southern marshes. Their revolt lasted fourteen years during which they defeated the army of the Abbasid Empire and conquered the city of Basra for ten years, built their own capital, and minted their own coins. The world Zanj, in contemporary Arabic means black people. In his books Al Kitab II & III, Adonis calls Ali Ibn Muhammad: The Prophet of Black Folk.

The entire portfolio was acquired by the Schomburg Center For Research In Black Culture, New York Public Library