There were many influential musicians, artists, and writers in the Harlem Renaissance, but none of them are as influential as Langston Hughes. Hughes was the voice of the Harlem Renaissance with all his poems, plays, essays, and books, which led to many more African Americans embracing their culture. Langston Hughes was one of, if not the most influential writer in the Harlem Renaissance.
Like many writers in the Harlem Renaissance, he wrote about African American life and the culture of African Americans, so why is he the most influential? The way he went about his poetry was very different from the other writers, because he addressed his poetry to the people, specifically African Americans. When he wrote his poetry, he wrote from his personal life, and made a connection to the people who read them. He wrote of the hardships of being African American, but he also wrote about the joys that come with being African American such as their fondness for jazz and blues. His poetry was so powerful that it still affects people today.
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In fact, his poem called “Dream Deferred” was a major influence on Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. His poetry was the voice of the Harlem Renaissance, he encouraged people to make themselves heard. He once said “An artist must be free to choose what he does, certainly, but he must also never be afraid to do what he might choose.” (Langston Hughes), meaning that if you want to do something, do it, don’t let society bring you down. So the real question is, how did Langston Hughes get to a point of