The Eyes of My People: Communicating and Understanding Black Perspectives Through Langston Hughes’ Poetry
Prakhar Gupta, Katie Noh, and Sarah Wirth
Senior Division
Group Exhibit
Process Paper: 500
Student-Composed Words: 500 FullFull ExhibitExhibit CenterTitle/Thesis: Top Image Panel Photo
No Source Credits CenterTitle/Thesis: Top Text Panel Text
The Eyes of My People: Communicating and Understanding Black Perspectives Through Langston Hughes’ Poetry
During the Harlem Renaissance, a period in which racial stereotypes were challenged, Langston Hughes revolutionized Black art by incorporating culturally Black rhythms and vernacular into his poetry. His embrace of Black culture ultimately benefited Black art, inspiring Black artists to communicate their experiences using themes and musical elements that stemmed from Hughes’ style, fostering a greater understanding and respect of Black perspectives. LeftLeft Panel:Top Panel Historical Photo Context LeftBlack Top Culture’s Panel American Photo Roots: Image
Source Credit Text: Roenker, Robin. Poor Rosy Sheet Music, 1867. National Geographic. Slaves Working, 1606. LeftBlack Top Culture’s Panel American Text Roots: Text
Black Culture’s American Roots
When enslaved people were taken to North America, they used cultural music to communicate their emotions, lifting their spirits on their journey.
Upon arrival, they combined traditional music with English lyricism, forming new dialects and music.
“the poet considered jazz and the blues to be uniquely African-American art forms, both of which spurned the desire for assimilation and acceptance by white culture, and instead rejoiced in Black heritage and creativity” (Gross).
Plantation hymns were the beginnings of the blues and jazz, carrying the same unbroken spirit as slave spirituals.
“Music was a way for slaves to express their feelings whether it was sorrow, joy, inspiration or hope. Songs were passed down from generation to generation throughout slavery” (Berry). LeftBlack Center Culture BeginsPanel to Photo Flourish: Image
Source Credit Text: Hutson, Jean Blackwell. Great Migration African American family from the rural South arriving in Chicago, 1920, PBWorks. Great Migration Map. LeftBlack Center Culture BeginsPanel To Text Flourish: Text
After slavery was abolished, oppression against Black Americans continued, including the systematic silencing of Black authors who wrote outside of the “white” narrative.
Black writers were dependent on a system run by white publishers who made it clear that in order to be published, they had to appeal to the white population.
“The restriction of the demand of publication led unfortunately to the impression that the slave narrative was the type of writing that Blacks were capable of, not belletristic writing” (Bamikunle).
Black people moved northwards for better economic and social opportunities. LeftBlack Center Culture BeginsPanel to Photo Flourish: Image, cont.
Source Credit Text: Hulton Archive. The Cotton Club. 1927. LeftBlack Center Culture BeginsPanel To Text Flourish: Text, Cont.
As Harlem’s population continued to grow, the community and resources found in the city allowed those of all social classes to be more active in society.
A Harlem Nightclub
“I think that's why so much art came out of that period. People, Black people, were having their first taste of any kind of freedom and autonomy in the country” (Walker and Rampersad).
The Harlem Renaissance was a source of inspiration for Black artists, combating racial stereotypes and leading people of other races to redefine their perceptions of Black culture. However, Black artists still felt pressured to conform to the white person’s idea of what their art should look like.
“Oh, be respectable, write about nice people, show how good we are,” say the Negroes. “Be stereotyped, don’t go too far, don’t shatter our illusion about you, don’t amuse us too seriously. We will pay you” say the whites” (Hughes).
Racial Makeup of Harlem, Black | White 1910| 9.89%| 90.01% 1920| 32.43%| 64.47% 1930| 70.18%| 29,43% LeftMiddle Top Panel: Panel Hughes’ Photo Seminal Writing Style CenterHughes’ SeminalCenter Writing Panel Style:Photo Header Image
Source Credit Text:Parks, Gordon. Portrait of Langston Hughes. 1 Jan. 1970., Fred Stein Archive. Portrait of Langston Hughes. 1 Jan. 1956. CenterHughes’ SeminalCenter Writing Panel Style:Text Header Text
Hughes’ Seminal Writing Style
Poet Laureate of Harlem, Langston Hughes began to defy the stereotypes surrounding black writers.
“Though Hughes was not the first one to use Black music in his writing, he was the first and only to make jazz the principle of his writing and to apply the blues technique to translate the same emotion and sensitivity of ordinary Black people” (Duale).
“...no other African-American writer is quite so central to an understanding of how jazz dynamics might operate in poetry and that none so daringly extends the modernest challenge to ‘make it new’” (Hokanson).
Langston Hughes blended traditional Black vernacular and rhythm with classical poetic style. CenterHughes’ SeminalCenter Writing Panel Style:Photo Left Image
Source Credit Text: Bettman Archive. Cootie Williams Playing Trumpet at the Savoy. 1 Jan. 1930. CenterHughes’ SeminalCenter Writing Panel Style:Text Left Text “Jazz to me is one of the inherent expressions of Negro life in America; the eternal Tom-Tom beating in the Negro soul—the tom-Tom of revolt against weariness in the white world...the Tom-Tom of joy and laughter, and pain swallowed in a smile” (Hughes) “Danse Africaine” By Langston Hughes
The low beating of the tom-toms, The slow beating of the tom-toms, Low...slow Slow...low- Stirs your blood. Dance! A night-veiled girl Whirls softly into a Circle of light. Whirls softly...slowly, Like a wisp of smoke around the fire- And the tom-toms beat, And the tom-toms beat, And the tom-toms beat, And the low beating of the tom-toms stirs your blood.
Hughes commonly used “bluesy” rhythms and vernacular in his work, making his work accessible to those of all education levels. CenterHughes’ SeminalCenter Writing Panel Style:Photo Middle Image
Source Credit Text: WBUR News. A Harlem Street in 1942. 10 Sept. 2013. CenterHughes’ SeminalCenter Writing Panel Style:Text Middle Text “Most of my poems are… derived from the life I know. In many of them I try to grasp and hold some of the meaning and rhythms of jazz. I am as sincere as I know how to be in these poems” (Hughes).
Excerpt from: “The Weary Blues” By Langston Hughes
Droning a drowsy syncopated tune, Rocking back and forth to a mellow croon, I heard a Negro play. Down on Lenox Avenue the other night By the pale dull pallor of an old gas light He did a lazy sway. . . ./He did a lazy sway. . . . To the tune o’ those Weary Blues. With his ebony hands on each ivory key He made that poor piano moan with melody. O Blues! Swaying to and fro on his rickety stool He played that sad raggy tune like a musical fool. Sweet Blues! Coming from a black man’s soul.
He was known for his authenticity, portraying the painful experiences of Black Americans. CenterHughes’ SeminalCenter Writing Panel Style:Photo Right Image
Source Credit Text: None CenterHughes’ SeminalCenter Writing Panel Style:Text Right Text “Later on I quite consciously began to try to create poetry in the style of our folks songs, our spirituals, our blues and our work songs...many of my poems...are about actual people I’ve known, or places I’ve been, or are inspired certainly by situations in which I’ve been involved in as are many of my racial poems” (Hughes). Excerpt from: “Broke” By Langston Hughes
Uh! I sho am tired. Been walkin' since five this mornin'. Up and down, and they just ain't no jobs in this man's town. Answerin' them want-ads not nary bit o' fun, 'Cause 'fore you gets there, ten thousand and one Done beat you to de place, standin' outside de do' Talkin' 'bout " we'll work for 50┬ó a day, if we can't get no mo'. " And one old funny boy said, " I'll work at any price Just only providin' de boss man is nice! " You all out there laughin', but that ain't no joke — When you're broke.
Hughes not only depicted Black people from all walks of life but celebrated them, an uncommon perspective at the time.
My People By Langston Hughes
The night is beautiful So the faces of my people. The stars are beautiful, So the eyes of my people. Beautiful, also, is the sun. Beautiful, also, are the souls of my people. LeftRight Top Panel: Panel Historical Photo Significance RightHughes’ Top Influence: Panel Margaret Photo Walker Image
Source Credit Text: Van Vechten, Carl. Margaret Alexander Walker. RightHughes’ Top Influence: Panel Margaret Text Walker Text
Margaret Walker: 1915-1998 winner of Yale Younger Poets prize.
Excerpt from: “For My People” My People (Laughers)
By Margaret Walker By Langston Hughes
For my people everywhere singing their slave songs Dream-singers,
repeatedly: their dirges and their ditties and their blues Story-tellers, and jubilees, praying their prayers nightly to an Dancers, unknown god, bending their knees humbly to an Loud laughers in the hands of
unseen power; Fate— My People. For my people thronging 47th Street in Chicago and Lenox Dish-washers, Avenue in New York and Rampart Street in New Elevator-boys, Orleans, lost disinherited dispossessed and happy Ladies’ maids, people filling the cabarets and taverns and other Crap-shooters, people’s pockets and needing bread and shoes and milk and Cooks,/Waiters, land and money and something—something all our own; Jazzers,
Walker mirrors many of Hughes’ distinct techniques, depicting people from all walks of life and directly addressing the black population. RightHughes’ Top Influence: Panel Kendrick Photo Lamar Image
Source Credit Text: Sayles, Matt. Kendrick Lamar accepts the award for best rap album for "Damn" at the 60th annual Grammy Awards at Madison Square Garden on Sunday. 28 Jan. 2018.
RightHughes’s Top Influence: Panel TextKendrick Lamar Text
Kendrick Lamar: (1987-present) A Pulitzer Prize-winning rapper regarded as one of the greatest lyricists of the 21st century.
The violence against Black Americans remains an important part of Black narratives, highlighted in both Hughes’ and Lamar’s work.
“Who But The Lord” By Langston Hughes Now, I do not understand Excerpt from “Good Kid” by Kendrick Lamar I looked and I saw Why God don’t protect a man “But what am I 'posed to do when the blinkin' of red and blue That man they call the Law. From police brutality. Flash from the top of your roof and your dog has to say woof He was coming Being poor and black, And you ask: "Lift up your shirt," because you wonder if a tattoo Down the street at me! I’ve no weapon to strike back Of affiliation can make it a pleasure to put me through I had visions in my head So who but the Lord Gang files, but that don't matter because the matter is racial profile” Of being laid out cold and dead, Can protect me? Or else murdered By the third degree. We’ll see.
I said, O, Lord, if you can, Save me from that man! Don’t let him make a pulp out of me! But the Lord he was not quick. The Law raised up his stick And beat the living hell Out of me! RightHughes’ Top Influence: Panel Artist Photo Collage Image
Source Credit Text: Hofer, Evelyn. Jean-Michel Basquiat. Getty Images Chris Felver. Faire L'Amour Dans Le Metro. 1984. Barboza, Anthony. Ishmael Reed. 1983. Bettmann. Gwendolyn Brooks with Typewriter. 1950. Cendamo, Leonardo. Gary Younge. Sept. 2018. Barket, Brad. Ice T. 2013 Marcus, Helen. Photograph of Toni Morrison. New York Times Gil Scott Heron, Poetry Foundation Pereira, Al. Wu-Tang Clan. Getty Images, Rolling Stone RightHughes’ Top Influence: Panel Artist Text Collage Text
“Perhaps these common people will give to the world its truly great Negro artist, the one who is not afraid to be himself. Whereas the better-class Negro would tell the artist what to do” (Hughes).
“There was a language, there was a posture, there were the parameters I could step in now, and I didn’t have to be consumed by or be concerned by the white gaze. That was the liberation for me” (Jean-Michel Basquiat).
“He left a joyous body of poetry that generations and generations will be able to read and enjoy...he touched a lot of people because he was natural, natural, a natural creativeness...and so my task, or my road is to follow--continue the road where he let off” (Joans).
“I think I’m really influenced by him a lot… He’s a model for me and I try to help young writers as he did and live in the black ghetto just as he lived in a Harlem neighborhood” (Reed).
“a lot of the things that he impacted that made hip-hop what it is today for us, talking about the experience, talking about the ghetto, talking about people, talking about what we measure up against, what’s going on here in America. I think every rap song today is pretty much a reflection of this same approach…it’s all about what’s going on right now, and I think Langston Hughes need to get the credit he deserved for being one of the first literaries to speak about the black experience” (Willie The Kid).
"I understood [Hughes' message] then and now somewhat differently. Not only to withstand the urge towards whiteness but also to resist any mould that was not of your own making, regardless of who made it” (Younge).
“ I didn’t have to be consumed by or be concerned by the white gaze. That was the liberation for me” (Toni Morrison).
Langston Hughes’ groundbreaking work paved the way for innumerable Black artists to express their own ideas and experiences without the need for validation from white audiences. Although much of Black art is still not given the recognition it deserves, it has gained cultural relevance and become a mainstream, respected form of expression. RightTable Bottom Panel Photo
Video Link: www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLyQRaUSQy8 LeftLeft PanelBottom Timeline Panel Image Photo
No Source Credits CenterCenter Panel Bottom Timeline Panel Image Photo
No Source Credits CenterRight Panel Bottom Timeline Panel Image Photo
No Source Credits CenterTimeline BottomText Panel Text
1619 - 1865: Slavery
1916: Great Migration starts
1920-1930’s: Harlem Renaissance
1921-1967: Hughes’ career
Present Day Process Paper
For this year’s theme, “Communication in History: The Key to Understanding”, we chose to focus on poet Langston Hughes and his influence on the state of Black art today. A shared interest of ours was the development and enrichment of Black American art throughout our country’s history, and as we did more research, it became clear that Hughes set the precedent for much of Black American expression since.
Our most important source was Hughes’ vast portfolio of poetry and prose. Throughout his work, we identified recurring themes, primarily a truthfulness about the Black community unrivaled by other Black writers at the time. His style, a mixture of traditional Black American culture and classical prose, enabled him to truly embody this perspective. We then looked at works created by Black artists that followed him. Numerous Black writers, including Gwendolyn
Brooks and Margaret Walker, achieved success through use of similar themes, techniques and topics to Hughes. We also noted his influence in one of popular culture’s most prevalent forces, hip hop and rap music. Modern artists like Gil Scott-Heron and Ice T draw clear topical parallels with and use similar rhythmic and writing techniques as Langston Hughes in their songs. Our interview with Jazz Professor and creator of the Langston Hughes Project, Ron McCurdy, further bolstered our findings while also providing us with a more modern perspective on the influence of Hughes' work. Additionally, interviews with modern spoken-word poets Jamele Adams and
Arthur Collins gave us insight into how Black art is created and received today.
For our presentation we selected the exhibit because it allowed us to use art, a strength of ours, to showcase our research. Our poster boards are organized chronologically, corresponding with the illustrated timeline that stretches across all three boards. These illustrations visually depict the progression of Black culture throughout history. Elements of
1920s-era Harlem are also included, such as our title board’s resemblance to a nightclub sign.
During the Harlem Renaissance, a period in which racial stereotypes were challenged,
Langston Hughes revolutionized Black art by incorporating culturally Black rhythms and vernacular into his poetry. His embrace of Black culture ultimately benefited Black art, inspiring Black artists to communicate their experiences using themes and musical elements that stemmed from Hughes’ style, fostering a greater understanding and respect of Black perspectives. Jazz and Blues were born out of slavery - a combination of worldwide influences brought together by the oppression of white enslavers and passed down through generations. Continued oppression after slavery led Black people to migrate to northern cities, such as Harlem, but they were still held back by the standards imposed by white people.
Langston Hughes was a prominent figure during this time. His seminal writing style blended traditional Black vernacular and rhythm with classical poetic style, communicating the authentic Black perspective and the lives of ordinary people. Decades after his passing,
Hughes’ work has become the foundation upon which modern Black artists share their own ideas and experiences, making Black art more culturally relevant than ever. Works Cited
Primary Sources
Adams, Jamele. Videoconference interview. 22 Jan. 2021. Jamele Adams, a spoken word poet with
extensive knowledge of Langston Hughes' life and writing, gave us poignant insight into his
artistic process; how he finds his topics, how he writes, who he writes for, etc. This helps us
support our points about Langston Hughes' impact.
Alexander, Margaret Walker. "'My Idol Was Langston Hughes': The Poet, the Renaissance, and Their
Enduring Influence." Edited by William R. Ferris, Southern Cultures, 23 June 2020,
www.southerncultures.org/article/my-idol-was-langston-hughes-the-poet-the-renaissance-and-thei
r-enduring-influence/. A talk given by a friend of Hughes', this source provides evidence for a few
separate categories of our project. Firstly, it gives us more context as to the kind of person that
Hughes was, and how he would have communicated through his work. Secondly, the speaker
herself, Margaret Alexander Walker, is a great example of his influence on black culture, as she is
also a writer. She speaks at length about how Hughes' work helped her find her own bearings as a
writer, connecting back to the theme of communicating black culture to future generations of
writers and artists.
Baraka, Amiri, and Bourne St. Clair. "Amiri Baraka on Langston Hughes." The Langston Hughes Review,
vol. 15, no. 2, 1997, pp. 30-38. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/26435201. The article is a transcript
of an interview with Amiri Baraka, a successful artist and poet who was mentored by Hughes.
The interviewer, St. Claire Bourne, was a well-known documentary filmmaker who focused on
black culture in America. The source provides specific insight into the impact that Hughes' work had on people, including Baraka's personal experiences. Baraka's perspective is valuable because
he saw firsthand how Hughes inspired Jazz poetry. He gives us his view of the way Hughes
changed the precedent for poetry, and what he meant to the people. Baraka also further explains
the backlash Hughes received for focusing on the lives of ordinary black people in his work. He
allows us to see what exactly Hughes wanted to communicate to people, how he managed to
succeed in his goals, and what he means to the Black community.
Bettman Archive. Cootie Williams Playing Trumpet at the Savoy. 1 Jan. 1930. History.com,
www.history.com/topics/roaring-twenties/harlem-renaissance#&gid=ci025d979fd000271c&pid=h
arlem-renaissance-gettyimages-517322608. Accessed 3 Jan. 2021. This image will go into the
"Black Culture Begins to Flourish" section of our project, showing what the jazz scene in Harlem
looked like.
Bettmann. Gwendolyn Brooks with Typewriter. Getty Images, Poetry Foundation, 1950,
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/gwendolyn-brooks This image shows Gwendolyn
Brooks, a poet influenced by Hughes. It is used in the final section of our project.
Beveridge, Andy A. "Harlem's Shifting Population." Gotham Gazette, Gotham Gazette, 27 Aug. 2008,
www.gothamgazette.com/index.php/demographcis/4077-harlems-shifting-population. This census
data shows the exodus of Black Americans moving to Harlem, changing the social landscape and
allowing Langston Hughes and his art to thrive.
CBUT. "Langston Hughes - 'The Weary Blues' on CBUT, 1958." YouTube, uploaded by vanalogue, 17
Apr. 2013, www.youtube.com/watch?v=uM7HSOwJw20. This video shows Langston Hughes performing his work with a jazz quartet. we use it in our final exhibit to demonstrate the power
that it has and the similarities it bears with future Black art.
Cendamo, Leonardo. Gary Younge. Sept. 2018. Getty Images,
www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/younge-gary-monforte-dalba-italy-september-2018-new
s-photo/1129528531. Accessed 10 Jan. 2021. This image of Gary Younge, a current journalist
who found refuge in Hughes' poetry, will be used to Illustrate Hughes' modern influence.
Charles, Don Hogan. A Mother and Child. The New York Times,
www.nytimes.com/interactive/projects/cp/national/unpublished-black-history/don-hogan-charlesa
-day-in-the-life-of-harlem-1966. Accessed 30 Dec. 2020. This is a photograph taken in Harlem in
1966 of ordinary people, which is used in our center panel. It helps to illustrate who Hughes' was
writing to and writing for.
Chris Felver. Faire L'Amour Dans Le Metro. 1984. Getty Images,
www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/portrait-of-american-beat-poet-ted-joans-as-he-rides-a-
bus-news-photo/171394619?adppopup=true. Accessed 3 Jan. 2021. This image of Ted Joans, a
Black jazz poet inspired by Hughes and who knew him personally, will be used to illustrate
Hughes' influence during his lifetime.
Collins, Arthur. Videoconference interview. 28 Jan. 2021. Arthur Collins is a spoken word poet who
addressed how his community inspired his work, how musical elements and rhythms play a
significant role in how work, and the messages he wants to share as a black man to his audiences.
He is another example of a modern day poet/artist who freely expresses his Black perspective and
is a poet who Hughes influenced. the Cotton Club. 1930. Encyclopædia Britannica,
www.britannica.com/topic/Cotton-Club#/media/1/1006392/137299. Accessed 28 Jan. 2021. This
image of The Cotton Club, one of the most popular clubs in Harlem during the Harlem
Renaissance, will be placed in the "Black Culture Begins to Flourish" section of our exhibit in
order to show an example of a place that Black culture thrived.
Dowd, Vincent. "Ice-T Swaps Rap for Poetry and Jazz." BBC News, BBC, 19 Nov. 2015,
www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-34867659. Published in a renowned news source, this
article provides more clarity about what Langston Hughes means to Ice T and Ron McCurdy, two
men that performed Hughes' poetry. Ice T, as we discovered previously, is a prime example of
Hughes' influence reaching into a newer art form. In the case of Ice, the rhythms and language
used by Hughes show up very often in his work. While artists today credit many renaissance
poets as influences for their lyrics, this article proves without a doubt that Hughes' fusion of "high
art" and black culture is prevalent in today's artistic landscape.
Fred Stein Archive. Portrait of Langston Hughes. 1 Jan. 1956. Getty Images,
www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/portrait-of-american-author-langston-hughes-1956-new
s-photo/114339624?adppopup=true. Accessed 3 Jan. 2021. This image of Hughes will be used in
the center of our exhibit and will allow our audience to see the man behind the poetry.
"Gil Scott-Heron -- The Bottle (Official Version)." YouTube, uploaded by downlowpictures, 2 Feb. 2010,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdhoX1Xu6ZI. A video of Gil Scott-Heron performing one of his
pieces, we use this in our final exhibit to depict the similarities in theme and topic that Black art
often has with Langston Hughes' work. A Harlem Street in 1942. 10 Sept. 2013. WBUR News, www.wbur.org/npr/129827444/story.php.
Accessed 30 Dec. 2020. This is a photo taken of Harlem streets and people in 1942. The photo
goes in the central section in our project and helps to show real places and ordinary people in
Harlem that were often included in his poetry and literary works.
Hughes, Langston. "Jazz as Communication by Langston Hughes." Poetry Foundation, Poetry
Foundation, www.poetryfoundation.org/articles/69394/jazz-as-communication. An essay written
by Hughes himself, this piece gives us more clues to how he approached his art and how he
connects to the theme of communication. Hughes elaborates on his beliefs about jazz, specifically
about its role in society and influence on his work. His idea that "Jazz is a great big sea. It washes
up all kinds of fish and shells and spume and waves with a steady old beat, or off-beat"
demonstrates how he feels about the impact of jazz music on society. In his eyes, jazz is
something that connects all kinds of music. The thought process he shares here builds on the idea
of art being communicative, connecting Langston Hughes' work to the theme of communicating
the Black experience. The next step for us would be to find exact examples of this communication
taking place in Hughes' work.
Hughes, Langston. The Weary Blues. 1926. New York, Alfred A. Knopf, 2015. The Weary Blues is a
poetry book written by Hughes. It allows us to examine Hughes' writing deeply, and identify
common themes. This book especially helped us to see the musical elements and vernacular in his
poetry, and how they contribute to the authenticity of his voice.
Hughes, Langston, 1902-1967. The Big Sea : an Autobiography. New York :Alfred A. Knopf, 1945. The
Big Sea by Langston Hughes is an autobiography, detailing his life while using elements of Hughes' poetic style. This source gave us more information about his life and growth as a writer
while also showing his writing style evolve since the book was written towards the back end of
his career.
Hughes, Langston. The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes. Edited by Arnold Rampersad, New York,
Vintage Classics, 1995. This book is a collection of most of Hughes' works broken up into
timeframes from the beginning of his career to his death. It is helpful to find primary examples of
his writing style and focus of his work in the poems that we will be using on our poster. This
source is also useful so one can understand the musical elements that Hughes is famous for by
reading his poetry and seeing how his message and focus of his work stayed consistent
throughout his life.
---. "Langston Hughes Speaking at UCLA 2/16/1967." UCLA, 16 Feb. 1967. Lecture.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Px5hwNCs9ss
Langston Hughes gives a talk at UCLA in 1967 and he talks about his young life, reads various
poems he wrote, and the racial issues and situations he experienced in Harlem. He explains the
meaning of his poems and the aspects of them that he thought were the most important and what
he specifically wanted to communicate with his audiences.
---. "The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain." The African-American Experience, Primary Source
Media, 1999. American Journey. Gale in Context: U.S. History,
link.gale.com/apps/doc/EJ2152000048/UHIC?u=mlin_m_bedhigh&sid=UHIC&xid=8a223bdd.
Accessed 13 Oct. 2020. The "Negro and the Racial Mountain" is an essay written by Hughes and
reflects the specific struggles he went through as a young writer who accepted his individuality when many black people didn't want to. He describes life in Harlem from the perspective of a
young black poet/ his perspective and the "mountain" they faced, dealing with criticism from both
black and white people and how society was always pushing them to conform to the "American
model". He also explains why he used Jazz and the Blues in his poems.
---. The Ways of White Folks. New York, Vintage Classics, 1962. This book is a collection of short stories
set in the 1920's-1930's that depict the struggles of racism in many common situations that were
experienced by ordinary black people. It It is another one of Hughes' literary works that
showcases how he communicates the black perspective to people in the US, and helps us to see
his messages in actual pieces of literature that he wrote during the time of the Harlem
Renaissance.
---. "When the Negro Was in Vogue." The African-American Experience, Primary Source Media, 1999.
American Journey. Gale in Context: World History,
link.gale.com/apps/doc/EJ2152000047/WHIC?u=mlin_m_bedhigh&sid=WHIC&xid=49182fb6.
Accessed 14 Oct. 2020. This is an analysis done by Langston Hughes captures his authentic
perspective on life in Harlem during the Harlem Renaissance. Hughes also mentions the "mask"
black people wear around white people and how this constant wearing of a mask influenced
Harlem as a whole, which influenced Hughes' poetry. The shift in Harlem helps to explain why
Hughes' message was both accepted and rejected, but ultimately why it was so important for
Hughes to communicate a message to his community.
Hutson, Jean Blackwell. Great Migration African American family from the rural South arriving in
Chicago, 1920. Britanica, www.britannica.com/event/Great-Migration. Accessed 3 Jan. 2021. This image is used in "The Great Migration" section on our poster to show an average Black
family that was migrating during the 1920's.
Joans, Ted, and Bourne St. Clair. "Ted Joans on Langston Hughes." The Langston Hughes Review, vol.
15, no. 2, 1997, pp. 71–77. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/26435205. Accessed 2 Nov. 2020. The
interview is with Ted Joans, a famous American Jazz poet who knew Hughes personally and
looked up to him as a role model. In the interview, Joans mentions how his poems were heavily
influenced by Hughes' writing style and how he had always viewed Hughes' as a pioneer in black
literature, specifically with Jazz poetry. Joans is an example of how Hughes' work and influence
live beyond the Harlem Renaissance and even after his death.
Lamar, Kendrick. Lyrics to "good kid." Genius, 2021, https://genius.com/Kendrick-lamar-good-kid-lyrics
This song by Kendrick Lamar, critically aclaimed rapper, is used in our project to demonstrate
how Langston Hughes' message is perpetuated in modern culture.
Langston Hughes - Life and Times with Alice Walker. Directed by Bruce Schwartz, 2003. Youtube.com,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4xsuHfkfs8&feature=emb_title. Accessed 1 Oct. 2020. This film
was directed by award-winning filmmaker Bruce Schwartz. In the film, he interviews Alice
Walker, an author who won the Pulitzer Prize for her book, The Color Purple. She was an activist
in the Civil Rights Movement and met both Martin Luther King Jr. and Langston Hughes. She
wrote a biography about Hughes, called Langston Hughes: American Poet. Arnold Rampersand,
another person interviewed in the film, published a biography on Hughes called The Life of
Langston Hughes. This book was a finalist for the Pulitzer prize. During their interviews, Walker
and Rampersand go further into Hughes' childhood and upbringing, allowing us to more fully understand his life and the inspiration behind his poetry. They explain the ways he helped
younger writers, and they also analyze his writing style, and how it allows him to communicate
with ordinary people, and even young children. This gives us more information surrounding the
way Hughes inspired others and used poetry to communicate with people for generations to come.
"Langston Hughes reads his poems." Youtube.com, uploaded by Thepostarchive, 7 July 2017,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwRF7mU4zrg. Accessed 13 Dec. 2020. This audio allows us to
more deeply understand Hughes' poetry and the way he meant it to be performed. In the video, we
are able to hear the rhythm and vernacular he incorporated more clearly.
McCurdy, Ron. Videoconference interview. 10 Dec. 2020. Ron McCurdy is the founder of the Langston
Hughes Project and a Professor of Music at USC. This interview allowed us to gain a greater
understanding of the musical elements in Hughes' work, and how he inspires musicians in
addition to poets. He provided valuable insight on the impact of Hughes' work, specifically in the
world of rap.
Morrison, Toni. Interview. June 2012. In this interview Morrison explains how she refuses to focus her
work on the white perspective and refuses to appeal to white audiences; one of the core themes
throughout Langston Hughes' work as well. This source helps us to see how Langston Hughes has
continued to influence Black artists many years later.
Parks, Gordon. Portrait of Langston Hughes. 1 Jan. 1970. Library of Congress
loc.gov/pictures/resource/fsa.8d39489/. This image of Langston Hughes is used primarily just to
show what he looks like. "Poet Ted Jones Performs in Amsterdam." YouTube, uploaded by AALBC.com, 13 Aug. 2017,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9N3RDDw4B0. This video of Ted Joans performing his poetry is
used in our final exhibit to show how Joans drew from Hughes' style to share his own
experiences.
Roenker, Robin. Poor Rosy Sheet Music. 1867. University of North Carolina
https://docsouth.unc.edu/church/allen/allen.html. This image of a transcribed slave hymn will be
used to show what early Black American music looked like.
Van Vechten, Carl. Margaret Alexander Walker. Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale
University. This is an image of Margaret Alexander Walker, an artist that we relate to Langston
Hughes in our project.
Walker, Margaret. "For My People by Margaret Walker." Poetry Foundation, Ayer Co Pub, 1968,
www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/21850/for-my-people. A poem by Margaret
Walker, For My People discusses similar themes as Langston Hughes, such as authentic Black life
in America. This gives us more evidence to show that Hughes' work continues to live on in more
modern works.
Wertz, Irma Jackson. "Profile: LANGSTON HUGHES." Negro History Bulletin, vol. 27, no. 6, 1964, pp.
146–147. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/44175003. Accessed 2 Oct. 2020. The author of this
source is Irma Jackson Wertz, whose family was friends with Hughes. This gives her credibility
as she knew Hughes personally, and was able to see and experience his accomplishments
firsthand. The article was published while Hughes was still alive, in the Negro History Bulletin, a
scholarly journal that was published by the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, an organization that is centered around the study of black history. The Association is
reputable, having been founded in 1915, and establishing black history week, and later, month.
The article is important because it gives us insight into how Hughes influenced people during his
lifetime. The source provides important information surrounding the impact Hughes had on
students and young writers. It also provides examples of books he wrote in which he highlighted
the narratives of black people whose stories were not often told. Overall, it shows how Hughes
communicated the stories of other people and different ways that Hughes spread his poetry and
ideas and taught people how to better communicate with others.
Zamir, Shamoon. "An Interview with Ishmael Reed." Callaloo, vol. 17, no. 4, Fall 1994, p. 1130+. Gale
Literature Resource Center,
link.gale.com/apps/doc/A16489911/LitRC?u=mlin_m_bedhigh&sid=LitRC&xid=a1fac6e7.
Accessed 13 Oct. 2020. This is an interview with Ishmael Reed, a very successful American poet,
novelist, essayist, and songwriter who had a person relationship with Langston Hughes when he
was a teenager. This interview was a clear example of Hughes influence on other black poets.
This source is evidence of how Hughes' message and goal of inspiring Black artists to accept their
race and to be proud who they are has actually impacted someone years after the Harlem
Renaissance.
Secondary Sources
Bamikunle, Aderemi. "The Harlem Renaissance and White Critical Tradition." CLA Journal, vol. 57, no.
2, 2013, pp. 81–94. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/44325853. Accessed 2 Nov. 2020. This analytical essay is from JSTOR, which is one of the largest and most reputable journal archives in
the world. This source gives a lot of background information about the birth of black literature
and black vernacular. It explained that when black writers were first emerging, they were heavily
restrained to using western language and sticking to the status quo of society, so black vernacular
was not only unpopular but was heavily discouraged and seen as inappropriate. It helps to show
why and how Langston Hughes writing style was so influential and radical during the Harlem
Renaissance.
Berry, Kenyatta D. "Singing in Slavery: Songs of Survival, Songs of Freedom." PBS, Public Broadcasting
Service, 25 Jan. 2017,
www.pbs.org/mercy-street/blogs/mercy-street-revealed/songs-of-survival-and-songs-of-freedom-
during-slavery/. From PBS, this source provides information about traditional slave music. The
Black culture that Hughes emulates in his work was originated by slaves, including the jazz and
blues rhythms that his poetry relies on. Slave music was the grandfather of these genres, carrying
meanings of perseverance and freedom, meanings that are central to the Black experience that
Hughes portrays so well in his work. By including mention of slave music in our project, we can
better show the change that Hughes affects the perception of black society.
Bunch, Lonnie. "A New African American Identity: The Harlem Renaissance." National Museum of
African American History and Culture, 14 Mar. 2018,
nmaahc.si.edu/blog-post/new-african-american-identity-harlem-renaissance. The National
Museum of African American History and Culture is a museum dedicated to the documentation
of African American history and culture, and a part of the Smithsonian Institution, which consists of 19 museums. This blog post is a part of the series "A Page From Our American Story" by
museum director, author, and historian Lonnie Bunch. It provides background information about
the factors leading up to the Harlem Renaissance, such as the Jim Crow laws and the Great
Migration. It also describes why and how the Renaissance affected Black culture as a whole, and
how it challenged racial stereotypes throughout the country.
Davis, Arthur P. "The Harlem of Langston Hughes' Poetry." Phylon (1940-1956), vol. 13, no. 4, 1952, pp.
276-83. JSTOR, doi:10.2307/272559. Accessed 15 Oct. 2020. Arthur Paul Davis, the author of
this source, was a literary professor at Howard University. He won many awards, for example, the
College Language Association awarded him for his "distinguished contribution to literary
scholarship" in 1975. He wrote many books and articles about black history, culture, and
literature. Davis also met Hughes and used his encounter with him to improve his courses in
African-American literature. The article was published in Phylon, an academic journal founded
by W.E.B Du Bois that focuses on the African-American perspective. The article is centered
around Hughes' poetry about Harlem and his representations of the people of the city. Davis
analyzes many of Hughes' poems, giving us more specific examples of Hughes' representation of
ordinary people in his poems and allowing us to further understand Hughes' relationship with
Harlem. Davis takes us through the different stages of Harlem, from a place where black people
and white people could enjoy the city life, to the Harlem after the Depression of 1329 and the
1930 riot, to the Harlem of unfulfilled dreams, and gives examples of how Hughes communicated
the mood of the people living in each. Davis, through this article, further shows how dedicated Hughes was to accurately communicating the emotions and experiences of black people,
particularly in Harlem.
Dualé, Christine. "Langston Hughes's Poetic Vision of the American Dream: A Complex and Creative
Encoded Language." Angles: New perspectives on the anglophone world, no. 7, 1 Nov. 2018,
doi:10.4000/angles.920. The author of this source is a professor at the Toulouse 1 University
Capitole in France. She has evidently done tremendous amounts of research on Langston Hughes,
having published multiple books on him, such as Harlem Blues: Langston Hughes and the poetics
of the African-American Renaissance, and Langston Hughes and the Harlem Renaissance:
Emergence of a Black American Voice. It contains valuable information about Hughes' use of
musical techniques in his work, as well as specific examples. It examines the effect this had on
people, specifically how it made his writing more accessible and universal. The article also
examines Hughes' theme of the American Dream that is present throughout many of his poems,
and how he promoted this idea, inspiring and uplifting people. Overall, it helps us to more clearly
see how the incorporation of music into Hughes' poems allowed him to more effectively
communicate his ideas and change the standard for poetry.
Gross, Rebecca. Jazz Poetry & Langston Hughes, National Endowment for the Arts, 11 Apr. 2014,
www.arts.gov/stories/blog/2014/jazz-poetry-langston-hughes. The National Endowment for the
Arts, a federal agency, created this piece in association with the video of Langston Hughes
performing his poetry. The written piece gives us some more evidence as to the elements of jazz
that Hughes used, but the recording of Hughes is what truly shines. The opening verse of his
landmark work, The Weary Blues, is already full of elements that could be analyzed, whether it be the unconventional meter or Hughes' poignant imagery. However, when performed with a jazz
ensemble, it becomes clear why Hughes' work was so effective at communicating his thoughts on
Black life in America. The rhythm, his slight dialect that he speaks with, and the dynamics of the
band all create a more filled-out, captivating experience. This helps connect the work of Hughes
to future artists, giving us specific elements to point to in other works to demonstrate Hughes'
wide-reaching influence.
Hall, Stephanie. "The Painful Birth of Blues and Jazz." The Painful Birth of Blues and Jazz | Folklife
Today, 24 Feb. 2017, blogs.loc.gov/folklife/2017/02/birth-of-blues-and-jazz/. This piece from the
Library of Congress addresses the inception of jazz. Jazz rhythms are part of what make Langston
Hughes' work different from other Harlem Renaissance writers. Largely through his use of these
rhythms, Hughes brought authenticity to his work that no author had been able to before. The
information in this source will help us map the change that Hughes affects on the way black
culture is perceived.
Hokanson, Robert O'Brien. "Jazzing It Up: The Be-bop Modernism of Langston Hughes." Mosaic: An
Interdisciplinary Critical Journal, vol. 31, no. 4, 1998, pp. 61-82. JSTOR,
www.jstor.org/stable/44029735. Accessed 15 Oct. 2020. "Jazzing It Up: The Be-bop Modernism
of Langston Hughes" was published in Mosaic: an interdisciplinary critical journal. Mosaic was
founded at the University of Manitoba in Canada, the "region's largest and only research-intensive
university." The journal focuses on "publishing the very best critical work in literature and
theory." The author of the article, Robert Hokanson, is an English professor at Alverno College
and has written and published many articles surrounding poetry and multicultural literature. The source goes into depth about Hughes' incorporation of be-bop, jazz, and vernacular in his work,
specifically in Montage of a Dream Deferred, providing us with further explanation surrounding
why Hughes chose to incorporate musical elements into his work, and specific examples.
Hokanson also contributed an analysis of the effect the musical elements had on the poem, how
they connected to Hughes' use of black vernacular, and what they were communicating to the
reader.
Holloway, Jonathan. "AFAM 162: African American History: From Emancipation to the Present." AFAM
162 - Lecture 6 - Uplift, Accommodation, and Assimilation (Continued) | Open Yale Courses,
2010, oyc.yale.edu/african-american-studies/afam-162/lecture-6. This lecture from a Yale
professor outlines the two main viewpoints on how Blacks should respond to racial prejudice in
the 1910s. The information in this source will help establish the setting of the storyboard, seeing
why Langston Hughes was inclined to write what he wrote.
"Hughes, Langston." Harlem Renaissance, edited by Christine Slovey and Kelly King Howes, vol. 1,
UXL, 2001, pp. 203-16. Gale in Context: U.S. History,
link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX3425700024/UHIC?u=mlin_m_bedhigh&sid=UHIC&xid=464fdd8b.
Accessed 1 Oct. 2020. The source is an excerpt from the book called Harlem Renaissance,
written by Christine Slovey and Kelly King Howes. It describes the places he went and the people
he met that provoked or inspired his work. This source in particular was helpful to identify the
iconic and impactful literary works Hughes wrote throughout his life that helped to capture the
voices in the black community during the Harlem Renaissance. Jelks, Randal. Videoconference interview. 26 Jan. 2021. Randal Jelks, an American Studies professor
who worked on a documentary concerning Hughes, provided us with clear historical information
on Hughes' life and how Black art has changed since Hughes was active. The information
provided by Jelks reinforced our claims regarding Hughes' continued importance and influence.
Kettler, Sara. "Langston Hughes' Impact on the Harlem Renaissance." Biography.com, A&E Networks
Television, 25 Aug. 2020, www.biography.com/news/langston-hughes-harlem-renaissance. This
article is written by Sara Kettler and is from a website that primarily focuses on biographies of the
biggest influences in American History. This source contributed basic evidence on how Hughes
influenced the Harlem Renaissance and gave more detail regarding the subjects of his poems. It
showed how persistent Hughes was with portraying the Black perspective of his community and
how he wanted to include all of the aspects of their lives, including the good, bad and the ugly.
King, Mehka, host. "Willie The Kid Talks Entrepreneurship, Teaming With PBS for A Langston Hughes
& More." CashColorCannabis, Spotify, 4 Nov. 2019. Spotify,
open.spotify.com/episode/46shWwjvHYGTI6FU7hBKxd?si=tIWuZ91_RAig799-3YqMAw.
Accessed 1 Nov. 2020. Willie the Kid is a successful rapper, film producer, and entrepreneur. He
is also a co-executive producer of the PBS documentary "I, Too, Sing America": Langston
Hughes Unfurled. In this podcast with journalist Makha King, whose focus is black culture and
racial disparities, Willie the Kid goes in-depth about Langston Hughes' influence on black culture
and music and the importance of sharing his story. He describes why he chose to share Hughes's
life with others and how he thinks his story can help and inspire younger generations. Willie the Kid also goes into how Hughes' authentic portrayal of the black perspective was monumental and
led to rap as it is today.
Lenz, Gunter. "Langston Hughes and Modern Music." C-Span, Humboldt University, 2 Feb. 2002,
www.c-span.org/video/?169387-4%2Flangston-hughes-modern-music. A symposium delivered
by a few professors of American Studies and English, this source provides a connection between
the history of African Americans and Hughes' work. An important part of our thesis states that
Hughes' work was instrumental in passing historical African American culture and language
down to future generations. This cannot happen, however, if Hughes' work does not contain this
history. The analysis of Hughes' writing done in this talk demonstrates how Hughes tied African
culture and tradition to a more widely known art form, vastly amplifying his message. This aids in
making our connection to the theme of communicating culture more watertight.
"Map of Great Migration." PBWorks, 6 Mar. 2020,
apushcanvas.pbworks.com/f/1490377537/Great%20Migration%20Map.jpg. Accessed 6 Feb.
2021. This map of where southern Blacks migrated to in the Great Migration illustrates an
important part of our project: the movement of slave culture up to major population centers like
Harlem, setting up the art styles and public atmosphere that Langston Hughes thrived in.
Metcalf Lecturer in American Studies, Josephine, and Will Turner Lecturer in American Literature. "Why
Rap Should Share a Stage with Poetry and Jazz." The Conversation, University of Manchester, 3
Sept. 2020, theconversation.com/why-rap-should-share-a-stage-with-poetry-and-jazz-49336.
Written by two professors of American Studies with a focus on African American Literature, this
article provides strong evidence for our claim that Langston Hughes has had a lasting effect on black art. Ice T is a fairly contemporary artist, so his reference to Hughes and other older black
writers as influences for his work is very supportive of our claim. Based on this info, we can hone
in our research for information we now know to be more pertinent.
Miller, W. Jason. "How the Poetry of Langston Hughes Inspired Martin Luther King's First Dream." The
Florida Bookshelf, University Press of Florida, 19 Jan. 2015,
floridapress.blog/2015/01/19/guest-post-how-the-poetry-of-langston-hughes-inspired-martin-luth
er-kings-first-dream/. The author of this article, W. Jason Miller, is the author of multiple books
surrounding Langston Hughes, such as Langston Hughes and American Lynching Culture, and
Origins of the Dream: Hughes's Poetry and King's Rhetoric, showing his expertise on the subject.
This blog post was published by the University Press of Florida, the scholarly publishing industry
for the State University System of Florida, and a member of the Association of American
Publishers and the American Booksellers Association, showing its reliability. In the post, Miller
explains the impact that Hughes had on Martin Luther King, and specifically, his use of the idea
of dreams in his speeches. This source allows us to see the broader significance of Hughes' work,
and how his poems not only impacted black literature and music but grew to inspire parts of the
Civil Rights Movement. It is a strong example of how people took inspiration from Hughes' work
and used his words to help them communicate their ideas and inspire others.
National Geographic. Slaves Working. Wind Picture Archives. This image shows slaves working in the
fields. We will use this image on our exhibit in the first section, describing how slave life led to
the creation of AAVE and Black culture. Pistelli, John. "Langston Hughes, The Weary Blues." John Pistelli, 30 May 2015,
johnpistelli.com/2015/05/30/langston-hughes-the-weary-blues/. Accessed 29 Jan. 2021. This post
is a critical review of The Weary Blues from an avid reader and book critic, John Pistelli, who
holds a Ph.D. in English literature. The gives us a greater understanding of how people today
view Hughes' work and gives us a broader context for the collection of poems.
Poetry Foundation, editor. "Langston Hughes." Poetry Foundation,
www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/langston-hughes. Accessed 1 Oct. 2020. The article Langston
Hughes is from the well established Poetry Foundation website, one of the largest literary
foundations in the world. This source was primarily focused on Hughes' influence for people,
especially Black people. It was helpful by showing the spectrum of positive and negative
responses his work got, but ultimately how Hughes' poems impacted and inspired audiences.
Most importantly, it gave evidence and direct quotes from Hughes about what he wanted to focus
on and how he wanted to inspire Black people to embrace and express their perspectives.
Smith, Virginia Whatley. "The Harlem Renaissance and Its Blue-Jazz Traditions: Harlem and Its Places of
Entertainment." Obsidian II, vol. 11, no. 1/2, 1996, pp. 21–60. JSTOR,
www.jstor.org/stable/44502721. Accessed 3 Nov. 2020. This journal is from JSTOR, a global and
highly reputable journal archive. The journal gives a lot of details about how Jazz and Blues
originated from slavery and early ancestors from Africa, and how certain phrases slaves used
evolved into black vernacular seen in Hughes' work. It also mentions how the Great Migration
brought these two music genres to the North, specifically Harlem. Additionally, the source was useful in identifying how and why Harlem became so concentrated with Black people and how it
came to be the Harlem that was thriving with black culture during the Harlem Renaissance.
Woods, Katherine. "A Negro Intellectual Tells His Life Story." The New York Times, The New York
Times, 25 Aug. 1940,
archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/books/01/04/22/specials/hughes-sea.html. This review of
Hughes' The Big Sea written by an author and New York Times contributor in the 40s reinforces
some of our claims, including how Hughes portrays Black American life. It also mentions the
"simplicity of phrase" that Hughes uses which is very important to our project.
Young, Kevin. "On Langston Hughes's The Weary Blues." Poets.org, Academy of American Poets, 4
Feb. 2015, poets.org/text/langston-hughess-weary-blues. The Academy of American Poets, where
the article comes from, is one of the top poetry sites. The article primarily focused on the writing
style and incorporation of Jazz and the Blues that was used in this book. This source explains how
he uniquely used Jazz and the Blues to portray the subjects in his poems.
Younge, Gary. "Langston Hughes Showed Me What It Meant to Be a Black Writer | Gary Younge." The
Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 1 Aug. 2013,
www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/aug/01/langston-hughes-showed-me-black-writer.
Gary Younge is an award-winning journalist, a previous editor-at-large for The Guardian, and a
writer for The Guardian, The Nation, and the New Statesman. This article was published in The
Guardian, a British daily newspaper that is accessible online. In the article, Younge describes
some of the struggles that come with being a black writer, and how Langston Hughes helped him
to understand what being a black writer meant. He describes the pressure that black writers face to conform to white people's expectations, and how Hughes' message to resist conforming to the
molds made by others inspired him. He specifically talks about Hughes' essay, "The Negro Artist
and the Racial Mountain," and how, despite its datedness, he was able to see the connection
between the issues of Hughes' time and the issues now, specifically and how the struggles that
come with being a black artist have not changed. This allows us to further understand how
Hughes is continuing to influence people today, and how his message to embrace the black
perspective continues to inspire people to communicate their ideas.
Uncategorized Sources
"Becky Johnston and Tamra Davis Interview Basquiat." The Jean-Michel Basquiat Tribute, Fedele Marco
Pascuzzi, 6 Nov. 2019, www.basquiat.cloud/becky-johnston-and-tamra-davis-interview-basquiat.
This interview with critically acclaimed artist Jean-Michel Basquiat gives insight into what
inspires his art and why he creates art. We use a quote from him to elaborate on the connection
between his work and Hughes'.
Flanagan, Andrew. "Kendrick Lamar's 'DAMN.' Wins Historic Pulitzer Prize In Music." NPR, NPR, 16
Apr. 2018,
www.npr.org/sections/therecord/2018/04/16/602948758/kendrick-lamars-damn-wins-historic-puli
tzer-prize-in-music. This article provides background info on Kendrick Lamar and his success in
music.
Hofer, Evelyn. Jean-Michel Basquiat. Getty Images, 21 June 2019,
www.sothebys.com/en/articles/21-facts-about-jean-michel-basquiat. Accessed 5 March 2021. A photo of a famous, socially-conscious painter influenced by Hughes' work, this will be used in our
final section.
"Kendrick Lamar - i (Live on SNL)." YouTube, uploaded by Kendrick Lamar, 16 Nov. 2014,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=sop2V_MREEI. This video is used in the table section of our
project, put in series with other videos to clearly show the sonic and thematic similarities between
modern Black art and that of Langston Hughes.
Marcus, Helen. Photograph of Toni Morrison. New York Times, 6 Aug. 2019,
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/06/books/toni-morrison-death.html. Accessed March 5, 2021.
Toni Morrison is a Black American author whose work deals with similar themes to Hughes'. This
image is used in the final section of our project to show the breadth of Hughes' influence.
Pereira, Al. Wu-Tang Clan. Getty Images, Rolling Stone, 10 May 2019,
www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/rza-sacha-jenkins-interview-wu-tang-clan-document
ary-833297/. Accessed 5 March 2019.Vasquez, Gary A. Photograph of Coach K with Team USA.
NBC Olympics, USA Today Sports, 5 Aug. 2016,
www.nbcolympics.com/news/rio-olympics-coach-ks-toughest-test-or-lasting-legacy. Accessed 24
April 2018. This picture of the Wu-Tang Clan is used in the final section of our project, depicting
artists who dealt with similar ideas as Hughes.
Sayles, Matt. Kendrick Lamar accepts the award for best rap album for "Damn" at the 60th annual
Grammy Awards at Madison Square Garden on Sunday. 28 Jan. 2018. The Mercury News,
www.mercurynews.com/2018/01/28/kendrick-lamar-a-big-winner-at-grammy-awards/. Accessed 9 Mar. 2021. This photo of famous rapper Kendrick Lamar is a modern example of a person who
Hughes influenced.