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Langston Hughes Biography

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Introduction
James Mercer Langston Hughes was an American poet and political activist who is attributed to being one of the major writers in the Harlem Renaissance. The Harlem Renaissance was an artistic movement that started in the 1920s, that celebrated black life and culture.
Coming from a long lineage of politically active individuals it was inevitable that Langston would use his gift of writing to help change the world. Langston Hughes used his personal experiences of growing up in different parts of the Midwest and an unorthodox childhood as a driving force for his poetry. The topic of his poems ranged a variety of political and social topics that were used to explain outcry against racial injustice and promoted equality (americaslibrary.gov). Throughout his work, he was able to help shed light on black culture, humor, and spirituality but also describe the black experience in America. With his long-lasting legacy, Langston Hughes has played an important role in the advancement of black culture and civil rights. Background Information
Langston Hughes was born on February 1, 1902, in Joplin, Missouri and was the second son of James Nathaniel Hughes and Carrie Mercer Langston Hughes. Langston Hughes was the only child of his parent’s marriage, since two years before he was born his older sibling had died as an infant. His parent’s marriage was controversial for the time period since his mother was born to a politically powerful and educated African American family at

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