Langston Hughes’ abandonment at a young age by his father as well as his life during a time of racial inequality led to his becoming a civil rights and humanitarian activist via his poetry. James Mercer Langston Hughes was born in Joplin, Missouri, on February 1, 1902. Unfortunately, his parents separated and divorced shortly after he was born; his father left the United States because of the massive racism at the time (Biography.com Authors). Following this, Hughes was raised by his maternal grandmother in Lawrence, Kansas, as his mother traveled in search of a job. Following his grandmother’s passing away, he moved with his mother until they finally settled in Cleveland, Ohio (Authors of Encyclopedia Brittanica). Hughes would later state that his experience in high school there was his first introduction to poetry (Biography.com Authors). As Hughes grew and matured, he began to dabble in many …show more content…
First, Hughes wrote “I, too” to signify the difference between black and white Americans. He states that the African-American population is ignored and held back from the society, but if they stand up, no one would dare to prevent them, too, from having rights (Hughes, “I, Too”). Next, Hughes wrote “Democracy” to show that the idea of democracy is not in alignment of what was currently in the USA (Hughes, “Democracy”). He argues that he, like all Americans, has rights, and that action is more powerful than words when it comes to ensuring freedom (Hughes, “Democracy”). Finally, Hughes wrote “Mother to Son” to demonstrate his understanding of the struggles of many working class black families, stating that the stair of life is difficult and has many obstacles. Nevertheless, he argues that “I’se still goin’” despite the difficulties that many have faced, and that persistence is necessary to get past the struggles that many African-Americans faced ( Hughes, “Mother to