National Poetry Month: 5 Black poets who made American history

3. Langston Hughes (1902 – 1967)

Langston Hughes was a poet, novelist, and playwriter who became a central figure of the Harlem Renaissance. Hughes was deeply connected to jazz and founded jazz poetry, a style of poetry that mirrors jazz music when read aloud. In 1926, Hughes published his first collection of poetry, The Weary Blues which summoned mixed reactions, with many praising a new voice in literature and others dismissing the debut collection. He aimed to candidly illustrate the hardships of the Black working-class lives by exploring laughter, love of music, language, and suffering. Hughes was the first Black American to earn his living solely from writing and public speaking.