Langston Hughes

A key figure in the Harlem Renaissance, Langston Hughes was far more than a poet. He wrote short stories, novels, children's books, plays, newspaper columns, and even an autobiography. And although he claimed Harlem as his home for the majority of his life, he traveled far and wide across the country, but also across the world to places as varied as Cuba, West Africa, Japan, Spain, and the Soviet Union.

Langston Hughes Biography

Langston Hughes was born on February 1st, 1901 in Joplin, Missouri to parents James Hughes and Carrie Langston Hughes. His parents split up when he was young and he went to live with his grandmother, Mary Langston, in Lawrence, Kansas. While living with her, she taught him African oral traditions and instilled a sense of pride in him for his heritage.

Fig. 1 - Langston Hughes

When his grandmother passed away in his early teens, Langston Hughes went to live with his mother and her new husband in Lincoln, Illinois before they settled in Cleveland, Ohio. While in high school, he developed his interest in writing poetry, inspired by the likes of Carl Sandburg and Walt Whitman. He often contributed to the school’s literary magazine.

Langston Hughes Biography: The Early 1920s

When Langston Hughes graduated high school in 1920, he went to live with his father, who had settled in Mexico. His father agreed to pay for his education so long as he studied engineering, and in 1921, Langston Hughes began his college career at Columbia University in New York City.

While at Columbia University, Langston Hughes felt oppressed by the school’s racist environment but found a sense of community in the Harlem neighborhood. He was at the center of the Harlem Renaissance and rubbed shoulders with many notable figures such as W.E.B. Du Bois.

During this time, Langston Hughes published his first poem, “The Negro Speaks of Rivers,” in The Crisis magazine.

Fig. 2 - first issue of The Crisis magazine

In 1922, Langston Hughes dropped out of Columbia University and spent the next year traveling aboard a ship that stopped in both Africa and Spain. In 1924, he settled in Paris for a time, joining other expatriate writers of the 1920s. Later that year, he made his return to the United States where he settled in Washington D.C.

Langston Hughes Biography: Education and Early Writing Career

While working as a busboy in Washington D.C., Langston Hughes met poet Vachel Lindsay who helped connect him with the right people. In 1925, Hughes won first place for his poem, “The Weary Blues,” in a competition put on by Opportunity Magazine. The same year, he received a scholarship to attend Lincoln University.

Once again, in 1926, Langston Hughes met a poet impressed by his work and willing to help his career. Carl van Vechten helped Hughes get his first book of poetry, The Weary Blues, published. Hughes followed with a second collection of poems, Fine Clothes to the Jew, the next year. When he graduated from Lincoln University in 1929, he also published his first novel, Not Without Laughter. Encouraged by its commercial success, Hughes decided to pursue a career in writing.

Langston Hughes Biography: The 1930s

Langston Hughes spent the 1930s writing, giving lectures across the country, and traveling abroad to places such as the Soviet Union, Japan, and Haiti. He published his first short stories collection, The Ways of White Folks, in 1934 and spent time as a Spanish Civil War correspondent in 1937 where he met Ernest Hemingway. During this time, he was also trying his hand at scriptwriting and theater. In 1935, his first play, Mulatto, appeared on Broadway, and in 1938, he opened the Harlem Suitcase Theater.

Langston Hughes Biography: Jesse B. Semple

In 1940, Langston Hughes published his autobiography, The Big Sea, which covered the first 28 years of his life. He also began working as a columnist for the Chicago Defender where he first introduced his famous character, Jesse B. Semple, also known as “Simple.” Supposed to represent the average working-class Black man, Simple faced and resolved issues of class and racism that the Black population could relate to.

Langston Hughes Biography: Later Life and Death

Throughout the rest of his life, Langston Hughes lived in Harlem where he continued to write and advocate for civil rights. He favored a non-militant approach aligning himself with Martin Luther King Jr. and the NAACP. He passed away on May 22, 1967, due to complications from surgery.

Fig. 3 - Martin Luther King, Jr.

Langston Hughes Poems and Quotes

Lanston Hughes’ poetry appealed to a wide audience with its simplistic style and lyrical patterns of jazz. He focused on themes such as Black pride, racial discrimination, and the American Dream.

In “Let America Be America Again,” he examined the relationship between America and its black citizens:

In “Harlem,” Hughes specifically examined the failure of the American Dream for America’s black citizens:

Langston Hughes Accomplishments and Legacy

Langston Hughes was a central writer of the Harlem Renaissance. He had great pride in his community and his heritage and worked to give an honest portrayal of the lives of working-class Black citizens. His characters were complex, with both good and bad qualities. Some of his contemporaries found an issue with this, believing any negative depictions of black people could hurt the civil rights movement. However, Langston Hughes appealed to a wide audience with both his works and ideology, winning numerous awards throughout his life.