Langston+Hughes

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 * Langston Hughes **

__Biography__  James Mercer Langston Hughes was born on February 1, 1902 in Joplin, Missouri. Hughes was mix-raced, having African American, European American, and Native American descent. His father left his family when he was little and his mother gave him up to his grandmother. He and his grandmother lived in Kansas for many years until his mother found a job that could support Hughes and herself. Hughes learned a lot about racial discrimination from his grandmother. Since Hughes was raised in an abolitionist family, he was greatly motivated to write poetry concerning the affection he had with discrimination in high school.  When Hughes became older, he began to work very odd jobs to earn money for himself and his family. He started off as a crewman on the S.S. Malone in 1923. Unsatisfied, he decided to go to Paris to live for a short time. There, he became a busboy at a local hotel. Hughes was still unhappy with his working conditions because it had nothing to do with what he wanted to do, which was to write. However, on his near final day as a busboy, Hughes ran into Vachel Lindsay, a famous poet. Lindsay published many of Hughes's poems he had previously written. Lindsay motivated Hughes to enroll into a college and to continue to write.  <span style="font-size: 140%; color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive;"><span style="font-size: 90%; color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive;">The next year, Hughes enrolled in Lincoln University in Chester County, Pennsylvania. There, Hughes was quickly accepted. A fellow classmate, Thurgood Marshall, influenced Hughes to continue writing his astonishing poetry. Hughes's first poem was published in //The Crisis// in 1921. The poem was called "The Negro Speaks of Rivers", which became his most recognized poem. In 1926, Hughes published his first poetry book. In 1929, Hughes obtained a B.A. degree from Lincoln University. Once he graduated, he lived the remainder of his life in Harlem, New York. In 1930, Hughes published his first novel, __Not Without Laughter__. The thrilling novel won the Harmon Gold Medal for literature. Four years later, Hughes completed his first short story series, __The Ways of White Folks__. In the 1940s, Hughes taught a lot about poetry, short stories, racism, and did works for children. He even taught a semester at the black Atlanta University and helped with teaching at the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools. In the 1950s and 1960s, Hughes wrote many poems and published them.

Langston Hughes later died on May 22, 1967 due to complications of abdominal surgery, which was related to prostate cancer. He was 65 years old. Today, his cremated ashes lie beneath the floor of Arthur Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. A brass medallion (an African cosmogram) covers the ashes of Langston Hughes. The cosmogram is called //<span style="font-size: 90%; color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive;">Rivers. //

<span style="font-size: 30%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive;"><span style="font-size: 60%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive;">The brass medallion labeled //Rivers// is placed over Hughes's ashes. Courtesy of:[] <span style="display: block; font-size: 150%; color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive; text-align: center;">

<span style="font-size: 150%; color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive;"> __<span style="display: block; font-size: 50%; color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive; text-align: center;">Langston Hughes in the Harlem Renaissance __ <span style="font-size: 120%; color: #0004ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive;">The Harlem Renaissance was a movement during the early 1900s that aimed to show the significance of African Americans in the United States. The leaders in this movement showed this idea by their production of literature, art, and music. They tried to end racism and stereotypes through their work. The main goal of these movement leaders was to gain racial and social integration.

The best known poem that Langston Hughes wrote was “The Negro Speaks of Rivers,” from his first book of poetry __The Weary Blues__. In this poem he uses rivers to represent the history of African Americans. These rivers represent life and show how black history has moved from Africa to the United States. His main message in this poem is to show that he is a black man who has felt the pain of slavery and racism, and that his soul bares the mark of these experiences. This poem explains that the freedom of African Americans will emerge. This poem is an example of how the Harlem Renaissance tried to show the significance of African Americans.

Langston Hughes also spent time writing about his political views. His poems on his political views were sometimes published in local newspapers. His poem “A New Song” is an example of these political writings. By writing about his views on politics, Langston Hughes hoped that he could end racism and stereotypes.

Works Cited: "Langston Hughes." 1997. Academy of American Poets. 1 Mar. 2009. []

"Langston Hughes - Poems, Biography, Quotes." __Famous Poets and Poems - Read and Enjoy Poetry__.28 Feb. 2009 [].

"Langston Hughes Biography." __Encyclopedia of World Biography__. 01 Mar. 2009 <http://www.notablebiographies.com/Ho-Jo/Hughes-Langston.html>.