Writers are  influenced by the place and time in which they live. It matters little the genre, fiction, poetry, science fiction, or drama. This holds true for James Mercer Langston Hughes.

Born in Joplin, Missouri in 1902, Langston Hughes lived in a society that did not always recognize the accomplishments of people of color.

In this unit you will see the world as Langston Hughes saw it. You will see and hear people that he knew. You will begin to understand the man and his works.