Langston Hughes and the 44th President
Today it is completely acceptable to the majority of society that we have an African American President, but could you imagine if that were to happen during the Harlem Renaissance time period. During a time where racism and segregation were prominent the thought of a black Leader figure was rare at best. That alone should give you an idea of how Langston Hughes would perceive the idea of our 44th president being black. I’m sure he would channel his reactions and emotions through a pencil and paper; through literature.
Whether he knew it or not, Langston Hughes died an iconic figure to the African American community. So from one icon to another such as Barrack Obama, Hughes would be more than elated to welcome Obama under such a prestigious title. I can imagine that Hughes would have written several short stories and poems about the current event.
When I think of Langston Hughes I think of a literature figure that was all about changing people’s attitudes about events, trials, or struggles they may be going through. I can’t think of Hughes in any other way than a literary genius. That is why no matter what current event I think of, the only way I can imagine him reacting is through his own writings.
He reacted to the struggle of African Americans and America in general through literature, so why not react the same way towards a more current event like a black president. Not to mention the many different perspectives of the event that he would be able to express through writing. He could write about the proud African American community, the hatred that some Americans have for the president, and he would have several political matters to poeticize brilliantly.
Langston Hughes is a poet, and poets react to events by simply writing poetry about them or their reactions to them. No matter what time period he is placed in, Hughes could have write excellent work on any current event of that time.
