Langston Hughes

Langston Hughes Description In this research paper assignment, you will write an essay of 1200 – 1500 words, including documentation and a Works Cited according to MLA format. This paper will explore topics connected to one of the authors studied during the semester, adding research to expand on your analysis. This topic will cover several defined areas that vary according to the subject discussed. Please review the topic carefully. Langston Hughes celebrated the average African American man and woman. He showcased the music, nightlife, and history of African Americans in his works. He was particularly concerned with the identify and experience of African Americans in America. As a part of the Harlem Renaissance, Hughes used his work to show the merits of his people in order to make a case for racial equality. In the 1960s Hughes’ poetry reflected the racial turbulence of the times. Hughes died in 1967 but his last book of verse, The Panther and the Lash contains protest poems such as “Black Panther” and “The Backlash Blues.” In your research paper, trace how Hughes’ poetry changed as the experience of African Americans changed from the time of the Harlem Renaissance to the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. 1. Introduction: For your intro, you should give a brief biography of Hughes, define the terms “Harlem Renaissance” and “Civil Rights Movement” and end with a thesis that ties these two historical time periods into Hughes’ work. 2. Part I: Give the historical background of the times. Start with the Harlem Renaissance and then the turbulent times of the struggle for Civil Rights that took place in the 1960s. 3. Part II: Using specific examples of Hughes’ work, show how the themes in his work changed from the Harlem Renaissance through the Civil Rights Movement. 4. Conclusion: Sum up the main ideas of the paper and reaffirm why Hughes in considered one of the most influential African American authors of the 20th century.