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Langston Hughes - Birth
Langston Hughes was born in Joplin, Missouri on February 1st, 1901. His parents were Carrie Langston Hughes and James Nathaniel Hughes. -
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Childhood life
Soon after Langston Hughes's birth, his parents went their own ways, Langston's father, left the family, and moved to Cuba first and then find his way to Mexico. Langston stay with his mother and grandmother, and during his childhood years, they lived in 3 states being, Lawrence, Kansas / Lincoln, Illinois / Cleveland, Ohio -
High school gradation
He attended a high school in Cleveland, Ohio where he graduated on June 16, 1920 -
Experience at Columbia University
In 1921, Langston enrolled at Columbia University.
During his time there, he caught an interest in the culture of Harlem and met W.E.B. Du Bois, who would later establish the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People "NAACP". Langston would also publish his poetry “The Negro Speaks of Rivers.” in June 1921. It talks about 4 rivers located in the Middle East, Africa, and America all connected to the soul and heritage of the African-American community. -
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Dropping out & Travels
Langston Hughes dropped out of Columbia University in 1924 and traveled to the West Coast of Africa, Holland, and Paris. Later that year, Hughes returned to the U.S. to live with his mother in Washington, D.C. -
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Langston Hughes win a magazine poetry contest for "The Weary Blues"
In 1925, Langston Hughes wins the Opportunity magazine poetry contest for "The Weary Blues" and In 1926, The Weary Blues is published by Alfred Knopf and Langston Hughes. “The Weary Blues is about the power and pain of black art. The poem describes a black blues singer playing in a bar in Harlem late into the night, whose music channels the pain of living in a racist society." https://www.litcharts.com/poetry/langston-hughes/the-weary-blues -
Experience at Lincoln University
In 1926, Langston enrolled in Lincoln University a historically black university, and in 1929 he graduated with a bachelor's degree in arts. -
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Travels to the Soviet Union
In 1932, Langston Hughes travels to the Soviet Union, which has some influence on his political belief that capitalism is bad. He publishes the poem "Goodbye Christ" in 1932. "Goodbye, Christ" is a dramatic poem that uses sarcasm to express a speaker's mistrust in many people, including the clergy, who the speaker claims that they used religion only for their financial advantage. -
"Mulatto" on Broadway
In 1935, Langston Hughes's play "Mulatto" is shown on Boardway. "Mulatto" is a play about a mixed-race boy's self-acceptance after facing rejection from his white father. Marking a major achievement in his life and a victory for the Harlem Renaissance movement during the 1920s and 30s. https://study.com/academy/lesson/mulatto-by-langston-hughes-poem-analysis.html -
Travels to Spain as a correspondent
In 1937, Langston Hughes traveled to Spain as a correspondent for the Baltimore Afro-American and other African American newspapers, to cover the Spanish-American War and during his time there he met many writers including W. H. Auden, Bertolt Brecht, Federico García Lorca, and Ernest Hemingway. -
Langston Hughes Publishes his first autobiography
In 1941, Langston Hughes published his first autobiography called "The Big Sea". In his autobiography, he wrote about his experiences living in New York, where he faced injustices regarding systematic racism. -
Writing for the Chicago Defender
In 1943, Langston writes for the Chicago Defender newspaper and publishes "Jim Crow’s Last Stand", Which was a volume of verses about segregation, and civil rights. Langston was later harassed by conservative groups for publishing. -
Langston Hughes investigated for un-American like activates
In 1944, during the 2nd red scare in America, Langston Hughes was investigated by the Special Committee on Un-American Activities of the House of Representatives, for alleged communist activity. Later in 1948, his name would be cleaned as innocent. -
Simple Speaks His Mind is published
In 1950, Langston published, "Simple Speaks His Mind" which is a collection of short fiction in which he simply expresses what's on his mind regarding a series of stories written in The Chicago Defender Newspaper. -
Publishes Montage of a Dream Deferred
In 1951, Langston published "Montage of a Dream Deferred" which is a collection of poetry. It uses a jazz poetry style to focus on scenes of Harlem and its mostly African-American inhabitants. -
I Wonder As I Wander is published.
In 1956, Langston's second autobiography is published.
It was named "I Wonder As I Wander" and was about the most dramatic experiences of his life in the 1930s. -
NAACP Awards Langston Hughes
In 1960, The NAACP awarded Langston Hughes the Spingarn Medal for Impressive achievements that helped NAACP and the African American community expand their influence. -
National Institute of Arts and Letters
In 1961, Langston Hughes was inducted into the National Institute of Arts and Letters, marking another major achievement in his life. -
Langston Hughes Passes Away
Langston Hughes died on May 22, 1967, at the age of 65, in New York. Hughes' "Panther and the Lash" was posthumously published and was about how Hughes grappled fearlessly and wrote about the most compelling issues of his time. -
First Langston Hughes Medal
In 1973, The first Langston Hughes Medal was awarded by the City College of New York.