Articles on Langston Hughes

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Students at Jackson State University in Mississippi present their annual production of ‘Black Nativity’ in 2017. Charles A. Smith/Jackson State University/Historically Black Colleges & Universities via Getty Images

More than 60 years later, Langston Hughes’ ‘Black Nativity’ is still a pillar of African American theater

‘Black Nativity’ may be different each time you see it − and that’s exactly what the playwright had in mind.
Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream – which alternated between shattered and hopeful – can be traced back to Hughes’ poetry. AP Photo

Langston Hughes’ hidden influence on MLK

In order to avoid being labeled a communist sympathizer, King needed to publicly distance himself from the controversial poet. Privately, King found ways to channel Hughes’ prose.

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