Langston Hughes and the Civil Rights Movement. - 1725 Words

During the early 1930s many black writers begin to produce works that helped to shape and define the Civil Rights movement. Among them was Langston Hughes whose poems and writing contributed directly to the rhetoric of the day and inspired many African-Americans, both in and out of the Civil Rights movement. Much of this grew out of what was called the Harlem Renaissance, which emerged during turbulent times for the world, the United States, and black Americans. World War I and the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 had left the world in disorder and stimulated anti-colonial movements throughout the third world. In America, twenty years of progressive reform ended with the red scare, race riots, and isolationism throughout 1919 and led to†¦show more content†¦Though never an official member of the Communist Party, Hughes, supported communism and defended the USSR through the 1940s. Hughes focused much of his effort into describing the life and experience of the black masses. He be lieved that social and racial problems were closely related to class conflicts, and that racial prejudice was only a manifestation of capitalism. In the early 1930s, a radical tone was pervasive in many of his works, especially in his volume of poetry entitled A New Song. One of the poems in the collection, for example, called for workers to rally in revolution with the words (1986): Better that my blood makes one with the blood / Of all the struggling workers of the world - / Until the Red Armies of the International Proletariat / Their faces, black, white, olive, yellow, brown, / Unite to raise the blood-red flag that / Never will come down! Because of many his views, and his impact on the black community, the white society of America at the time of the Harlem Renaissance and even years after labeled him as a radical. Interestingly enough, Hughes with his lifelong commitment to racial integration was rejected by 1960s radicals who considered him to be a part of the problem, rather than part of the solution. While visiting the Soviet Union, Hughes acknowledged the problems the nation faced in letters written back to the United States, but also claimed that he had not seen any traces of segregation orShow MoreRelatedCivil Rights Movement in Langston Hughes and Claude McKays Poems977 Words   |  4 PagesBoth Langston Hughes and Claude McKay are iconic poets who helped motivate the civil rights movement. Hughes and McKay spoke about the hidden nightmare behind racism and everything it stood up for. Claude McKay in the poem â€Å"If We Must Die† and Langston Hughes in the poem â€Å"I Too, Sing America† both express a similar theme and meaning through their use of symbolism, tone ,and imagery. First, both â€Å"I, Too, Sing America† and â€Å"If We Must Die† use tone to express their concerns about their place in societyRead MoreThe Life Poems of Langston Hughes Essay775 Words   |  4 PagesAmericans had no rights of freedom of speech or even a right to vote. Growing up in many different cities and living with many relatives, Langston Hughes experienced poverty. Langston Hughes used poetry to speak to the people. Langston Hughes is a pioneer of African American literature and the Harlem renaissance error. Mr. Hughes dedicated his poems to the struggles, pride, dreams, and racial injustices of African American people. Langston Hughes was born James Langston Hughes, February 1, 1902Read MoreBlack And Blues - Langston Hughes1623 Words   |  7 PagesKelsee Robinson Mrs. Fiene English 12 14 March 2017 Black and Blues – Langston Hughes The Harlem Renaissance was a time in history when the African American culture had one of its most influential movements by using creativity and the arts (Hutchinson 1). This movement took place between 1918 and 1937 and was shaped by both African American men and women through writing, theatre, visual arts, and music. The purpose of this movement was to change the white stereotypes that were associated with AfricanRead MoreThe Civil Rights Movement During The 1960 S1224 Words   |  5 Pageschanges and one of these major changes was know as The Civil Rights Movement.   The civil rights movement was a movement created by African Americans to achieve rights equal to white people and have equal opportunity in housing, employment, education, the right to vote, and to not be segregated.   This movement had many important leaders that helped get rights for African Americans.   The book â€Å"Tambourines To Glory† is based on a play that Langston Hughes wrote.   The boo k shows the life of an African AmericanRead MoreLangston Hughes Biography1058 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"James Mercer Langston Hughes, known as Langston Hughes was born February 2, 1902 in Missouri, to Carrie Hughes and James Hughes.† Years later his parents separated. Langston’s father moved to Mexico and became very successful, as his for mother, she moved frequently to find better jobs. As a child growing up Langston spent most of his childhood living with his grandmother named Mary Langston in Lawrence, Kansas. Mary Langston was a learned women and a participant in the civil rights Movement. When LangstonRead MoreLangston Hughes : African American Poetry1305 Words   |  6 PagesLangston Hughes: African American Poetry Langston Hughes grew up in a time of segregation, as a African American man living during the Civil Rights movement. During this time Langston wrote poetry from this point of view as a African American. Langston Hughes poetry is important due to his content, imagery, and voice. Through Langston’s voice he strengthened African Americans hope while opening the eyes of the white man to see what they are doing is wrong. Langston Hughes was born February 1,1902Read MoreLangston Hughes And The Harlem Renaissance1219 Words   |  5 PagesLangston Hughes and the Harlem Renaissance The Harlem renaissance is an artistic revolutionary period that took place between 1917 and 1937. This was after the First World War. Harlem was a district in New York. The Harlem renaissance impacted the social, cultural as well as artistic aspects of the black community. Many black people were encouraged to flee the southern sides where the caste system continued to oppress the black people. At this period, racial inequalities as well as other social injusticesRead MoreMalcolm X And Langston Hughes Essay898 Words   |  4 Pagessome came to benefit and change life for every citizen.   Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and Langston Hughes are three writers who, through their reputable writings, truly convey what it means to be American.   Ã‚  Ã‚   For a long time, the name Martin Luther King Jr. has been an inspirational symbol of equal rights. (1)His effectiveness in non-violent protesting had a major impact on many civil rights movements in the 50s and 60s. King possessed what might be the most recognizable American trait: determinationRead MoreAnalysis Of Langston Hughes And His Harlem Dream1639 Words   |  7 PagesLangston Hughes and His Harlem Dream The 1900s found many African Americans migrating from the south to north of the United States in an event called the Great Migration. Many Southern African-Americans migrated to a place called Harlem and this is where the Harlem renaissance originated from. The Harlem renaissance began just after the first world war and lasted into the early years of the great depression. Harlem became the cynosure for blues and jazz and birthed forth a Negro Artist era calledRead MoreLangston Hughes: Spokesman for Civil Rights960 Words   |  4 PagesOctober 2012 Langston Hughes: Spokesman for Civil Rights The purpose of this essay is to examine the theme of three Langston Hughes poems; â€Å"I. Too,† â€Å"Mother to Son,† and â€Å"Theme for English B.† The theme of these three essays is civil rights. Langston Hughes was born in Joplin, Missouri in 1902. His parents separated early in his life, he lived with his mother in Kansas City. Langston Hughes attended High School where as a senior he wrote, â€Å"The Negro Speaks of Rivers.† Langston became a Merchant