banjobutch: Happy birthday, Langston Hughes! (February 1, 1901)One of the most innovative and celebr
banjobutch: Happy birthday, Langston Hughes! (February 1, 1901)One of the most innovative and celebrated Black poets in American history, Langston Hughes was an influential leader in the period known as the Harlem Renaissance, in which Black art and literature began to flourish and gain new prominence. Hughes’ poetry often dealt with social issues, particularly with regards to racial inequality and the status of Black Americans as unequal citizens, and the struggles faced by working-class Black people in America. In part due to his experiences in segregated America, Hughes was sympathetic and supportive of communism, as in the first half of the 20th Century the Communist Party was the only political party unreservedly and resolutely in favor of racial equality. While never a member of the party himself, Hughes associated with it, and his work was frequently published in the party’s newspapers. Hughes traveled to the Soviet Union and served as a war correspondent during the Spanish Civil War for a Black newspaper. Though his radicalism diminished in later years, Hughes remains highly influential and acclaimed.“Good morning, Revolution: You’re the very best friend I ever had. We gonna pal around together from now on.” -- source link