While born in Joplin, Missouri, on February 1, 1902, James Mercer Langston Hughes did not live in Missouri very long.
| | Today, on the anniversary of his birth, we are thinking about Joplin's own Langston Hughes. While political controversies and Mr. Hughes' personal lifestyle give us some pause, we will concentrate on some of the more positive skills this man exhibited. At the forefront, we have to recognize the poetry that Langston Hughes created. He was even nicknamed the Poet Laureate of the Harlem Renaissance. He lent his voice to the cause of human equality and shone a light on the struggles of being black in the United States. |
While We're On the Topic
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I, Too
| Take a look at his poem, I, Too. Consider the way the words come together to paint the picture Hughes is trying to make you see. Then, create your own I, Too poem. Use the framework provide in the Hughes original to guide you. | 
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Below, on the left, I have taken words out of Langston Hughes' I, Too poem. On the right, I filled in the blanks to make my own poem. See if you can fill in some words of your own (Don't worry about the number of words or the length of the words you choose to continue the lines and stanzas. Make it personal for yourself. Perhaps you can write your poem as a football player, a dancer, a mathematician, or a student. What emotions will your poetry evoke?
| I, too, sing America. I am the ______ _______. They ____ __ __ ___ __ ___ _______ When _______ _____, But I _____, And ___ ____, And ____ ______. Tomorrow, I’ll __ __ ___ _____ When _______ _____ Nobody’ll dare Say to me, “___ __ ___ _______," Then. Besides, They’ll see ___ _________ _ __ And __ _______-- I, too, am America. | I, too, sing America. I am the teacher of futures. They send me to stand in a classroom When the first bell rings, But I teach, And strengthen learners, And celebrate mistakes. Tomorrow. I'll move around that classroom When the principal comes Nobody'll dare Say to me, "You're not benefiting children." Then. Besides, They'll see how effective I am And be amazed-- I, too, am America. |
In His Own VoiceIn this video, Mr. Hughes explains his reasoning for the words in his poem, The Negro Speaks of Rivers, which speaks to the ongoing history of African Americans. | Make America Great Again?OK, this poem is really called Let America Be America Again, but it sounds like President Trump's signature line. |
