Langston Hughes was definitely a man of emotion and pride. Hughes had pride in his black heritage, strong political beliefs, and the will to survive in a society where racial equality had to be fought for. He not only survived the oppression of the African-American culture and its people but also survived the separation of his parents and the Great Depression. Before the Civil Rights Movement even began, Hughes was a black activist, writing about how blacks suffered in both Africa and America. Hughes is best remembered for his stirring poetry, but was also an author of many short stories and books. Many critics found jazz music rhythms floating through Hughes' poetry.
Much of this came from what was considered the "Harlem Renaissance." This renaissance was a movement that allowed black artists to impress the rest of America through music, verse, theater, and other cultural expressions in the 1920s. Much like the Civil Rights Movement, much of the Harlem Renaissance, which include blacks from outside of Harlem, was supported by white patrons. Hughes was aware of the racism in America at an early age. Due to the fact his parents were separated, Hughes grew up living mostly with his maternal grandmother in Missouri. The South was not the only place he experienced racism and prejudice in his youth. He also felt racism in Detroit and Cleveland when he lived with his mother.
The most significant effect of racism was probably the fact that his father moved to Mexico because he could not tolerate the racist attitudes of many Americans. Hughes' strength and determination shine through in his poetry. he does not hide the fact that he lived with racism, but talks of his strength and the strength of many other blacks, to stand tall and believe in a better future. In Mother to Son the mother says, "So boy, don't you turn back./ Don't you set down on the steps/ Cause you finds it's kinder hard./ Don't you fall now-" (2100-2101). This emulates his belief that he and his culture must press on and fight. His belief that things will change shines through in I, Too where the narrator says, "Besides,/ They'll see how beautiful I am/ and be ashamed-/ I, too, am America" (2101). Through his poetry, Hughes conveys many ideas that would alter be the foundation for the Civil Rights Movement.
Hughes definitely was influential before and during the movement. I think this piece of brief gives a better understanding toward Langston Hughes, thus making it easier to understand his poems. It talks about his background history, his family, what he aims for, and how he achieves these ends in his poems. This is a good reference and research material for any reader seeking a general and preliminary impression of Hughes.
