Langston Hughes Biography
| Born as | James Mercer Langston Hughes |
| Occup. | Poet |
| From | USA |
| Born | February 1, 1902
Joplin, Missouri, USA |
| Died | May 22, 1967
New York City, New York, USA |
| Cause | Prostate cancer |
| Aged | 65 years |
James Mercer
Langston Hughes was an American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist. Born on February 1, 1902, in Joplin, Missouri, Hughes is counted among the most prominent figures of the Harlem Renaissance movement, which marked a period of cultural, artistic, and intellectual transformation among blacks in the 1920s and 1930s.
Hughes belonged to a family of mixed race, with African American, European, and Indigenous American heritage. His parents separated when he was young, and Hughes was left in the care of his grandmother Mary Langston in Lawrence, Kansas. It was his grandmother who introduced him to literature and encouraged his love for reading and writing.
After completing high school, Hughes moved to Mexico to live with his father, where he wrote his first poetry collection, "The Weary Blues", which was published in 1926. During his early years, Hughes traveled extensively, working as a seaman, laborer, and a cook on ships, before settling in Harlem, New York, in 1924, where he became a key figure in the Harlem Renaissance.
Hughes’s poems and writings often focused on the lives and struggles of African Americans, addressing themes such as racism, poverty, and social inequality. His unique style, which blended vernacular language, jazz rhythms, and blues music, made his writing more accessible to a wide audience.
In addition to his literary works, Hughes was an outspoken advocate for social justice and civil rights. He was a key player in the abolitionist movement and was actively involved in the campaigns for racial equality and the struggle against segregation.
Throughout his career, Hughes wrote novels, plays, short stories, and numerous other literary works that earned him both critical acclaim and commercial success. Some of his most famous works include "Not Without Laughter", "The Ways of White Folks", "Montage of a Dream Deferred", and "The Big Sea".
Hughes died on May 22, 1967, in his New York City apartment, at the age of 65, due to complications from prostate cancer. Despite his death, his legacy continues to inspire and influence generations of writers and artists, making him a legend in American literature.
Our collection contains 14 quotes who is written / told by Langston, under the main topics:
Nature -
Humor.
Related authors: Anne Spencer (Poet)
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