The Harlem Renaissance was a great and powerful era in black history, "It was an African American cultural movement of the 1920s and early 1930s that was centered in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City" ("Harlem Renaissance"). Langston Hughes wrote "Blues and Jazz flourished throughout the streets of New York, and young black artists began to arise [. . .]" (63). An important part of this era had to be the inspirational writings of Langston Hughes. James Mercer Langston Hughes, born in Joplin, Missouri, February 1, 1902, was raised by his grandmother after his parents divorced (Sporre 551). He graduated from high school in Cleveland, Ohio and went off to Mexico to live with his father for fifteen months (Jackson 1). While in Mexico, Hughes lived a very rural life and wrote many of his first poems which, although never published, began to distinguish him as a writer. Hughes attended Columbia University for one year, then returned to home for a short period in 1923 before he joined the crew of the SS Malone bound for Africa ("A Salute to Hughes"). From there he visited many places including Paris, Venice and Genoa before once again re

turning to America to live in Harlem, New York, in November 1924 (Andrews 65-69). While working in Washington D.C. as a busboy, Hughes left three of his poems beside the plate of Vachel Lindsey, an American poet, who liked Hughes' poetry and helped him publicize his writings (Jackson 3). Hughes' first book of poetry, The Weary Blues, was published by Alfred A. Knopf in 1926 ("Langston Hughes"). He was a great writer who completed a two volume autobiography, and edited many anthologies and pictorial volumes. Hughes dazzled writing for forty years and never gave up protesting for the rights of African Americans. He gave many motivational speeches across the nation supporting the black movement. Hughes continued his career publishing many books of poetry and prose. Langston Hughes went on to inspire the world through his literature until his death in Harlem on May 22, 1967 (Sporre 551).

"A Salute to Hughes." Smithsonian Institution. c1997 Smithsonian Institution. 20 Nov 2000. .

Hughes, Langston. I Wonder As I Wander: An Autobiographical Journey. New York: Hill and Wang, 1956.

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Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)