Langston Hughes – The Harlem Renaissance Man

In 50 American Heroes Every Kid Should Meet by Dennis Denenberg & Lorraine Roscoe (2006)

Troubadour is a word that usually refers to a poet-musician from medieval days. But Americans had a troubadour during the Great Depression of the 1930s. He didn’t sing, but did he ever read poetry – his own poetry.

You never know when someone else’s words may change your life. That’s what happened to young Langston Hughes. While he and a friend were on their way to Cuba for a vacation, they decided to stop in Daytona, Florida, to meet the famous African American educator Mary McLeod Bethune. During their visit, she suggested that Hughes travel throughout the South reading his poetry to earn a living. The idea seemed kind of crazy to him. After all, this was the time of the Great Depression when everybody was having trouble finding work. Could he do this? “People need poetry,” replied Bethune, “especially our people.”

Weeks later, while driving back to New York, Langston Hughes made his decision. He would make poetry his career. A friend from his college days would serve as his driver and manager. They would travel through the South, holding poetry readings at colleges attended by African Americans. Langston Hughes wrote and read poetry that spoke of the experience of being black, poetry that taught of the struggles of being black in a segregated United States, poetry that gave voice to a better life for black Americans. And everywhere he spoke, the audiences, mostly African American college students, greeted him eagerly. He reached them. His words stirred them, angered them, and made them proud. Langston Hughes joined other writers who led an African American cultural movement centered in New York. That movement was called the Harlem Renaissance, and Hughes became one of its most well-known troubadours. Like the troubadours of medieval days, he moved among his people, spreading a message.

1. A. What is the central idea of the third paragraph? a) Langston Hughes became a well-known poet by following advice from Mary McLeod Bethune. b) Langston Hughes became a well-known poet by traveling to colleges in the South. c) Langston Hughes became a well-known poet by giving voice to the experience of African-Americans. d) Langston Hughes became a well-known poet by joining other writers in the Harlem Renaissance.

B. Which sentence from paragraph three least develops and refines the central idea of paragraph 3?

2. Read the line from the text, “People need poetry,” replied Bethune, “especially our people.”

A. What effect does the author create by using Bethune’s quotation? Select TWO options.

a) The author emphasizes the need of poetry for the struggling African-American community.

b) The author uses this famous educator to demonstrate the community’s need for a cultural movement.

c) The author convinces Langston Hughes that he should become a troubadour, sharing poetry.

d) The author persuades Hughes to do poetry readings to earn a living during the Great Depression.

e) The author demonstrates the need for spreading a message to college students.

Franklin D. Roosevelt-Mr. President

In 50 American Heroes Every Kid Should Meet by Dennis Denenberg & Lorraine Roscoe (2006)

The man who would four times be elected president of the United States, who led our nation through the Great Depression and World War II, spent the last twenty-four years of his life in a wheelchair. Polio was his crippler. Usually this disease affected children, which is why it was called infantile paralysis. It struck Franklin when he was thirty-nine years old, a father of five children and well into his national political career. This personal tragedy changed FDR’s life forever. He had to focus on learning how to live in a wheelchair. The man who had loved to hike, play tennis, and sail now depended on other people to dress and undress him.

It was more than a physical challenge he faced. He had to deal with the mental challenge, too. Franklin lived a life of luxury and privilege. As a privileged young man at Groton, a private school, Franklin had been influenced by his caring headmaster (principal) the Reverend Endicott Peabody. Peabody wanted the wealthy boys to provide leadership and public service for others not as fortunate.

Now privileged Franklin felt helpless. Now he could truly understand what his headmaster had meant. When he became president, the Great Depression had left one-third of all Americans hungry and homeless. He vowed to help those unfortunate people in any way he could. FDR’s leadership and his charisma (his personal magnetism) led our country through some of its most troubled times.

1. Part A) Which statement best describes the author’s main purpose in this passage? a. To demonstrate how polio was a terrible illness. b. To show how surviving polio made Roosevelt a more understanding leader. c. To suggest that Roosevelt was the best President because of polio. d. To provide details on the Great Depression and President Roosevelt.

Part B) How does the story of headmaster Reverend Endicott Peabody help to develop and refine this purpose?

a. The story helps to show that Franklin Roosevelt had a privileged childhood. b. The story supports the fact that Franklin Roosevelt was destined for greatness. c. The story demonstrates that Franklin Roosevelt was encouraged to care for others. d. The story provides evidence of how devastating polio was for Franklin Roosevelt.