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LANGSTON HUGHES
Adriana Madison
History 2020
Dr. Uffleman
April 9, 2017
Madison 1
Racial pride found distinctive expression during the Harlem Renaissance. There was an
outpouring of literature, painting, sculpture, and music.1 This era was a rebirth for African
Americans in Harlem. Inspired by African American culture and black urban life, writers and
artists created works of both power and sorrow. This era gave way to poets and writers, including
the likes of Langston Hughes. As a poet, social activist, novelist, columnist, and playwright, he
became one of the earliest innovators of the then-new literary art form that became known as
“jazz poetry.” Langston Hughes demonstrated pride in black heritage, and not only became a key
figure in the Harlem Renaissance, but also inspired future black poets to come.
James Mercer Langston Hughes was born on February 1,1902 in Joplin, Missouri. As a
young child, his parents divorced and his father moved to Mexico, in order to escape the harsh
racism in the United States.2 After the separation of his parents, his mother traveled seeking
