My first introduction to Langston Hughes was in a North Dakota required American Literature class. I found his poems to be heart wrenching and gave me an inch of light onto the types of things black people went through during that time. However, my United States, small town, red state curriculum failed to mention was who Hughes truly is. Langston Hughes was a trailblazer for the black community and in honor of Black History Month and his birthday commencing the month, I wanted to talk about Hughes’ personal life. As a gay man.
Langston Hughes’ was different from other African American poets during the time of his writing. He wrote about ordinary black people, from their music, their jokes, their joys, their day to day struggles with racism. He was also vocal about how middle-class black Americans would strive to have “white” lifestyles. He began writing poetry in high school and continued and in 1921 wrote “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” after attending Columbia University and seeing what was, at the time, what we know now as the Harlem Renaissance. According to BLARB “In 1924 Hughes was working as a busboy in a Washington, D.C. hotel when the famous poet Vachel Lindsay entered the dining room. Hughes slipped several sheets of paper next to Lindsay’s plate. Although annoyed by the intrusion, Lindsay nevertheless read Hughes’s poem ‘The Weary Blues.’” This poem gained success and began his career for being a professional writer. One of his most famous poems “Let America Be America Again” written in 1935 showed his more radical views about the nation and how it does not protect the people it swore to. He published 20 plays and operas, 10 novels or collections of short stories and over 15 volumes of poetry. His influence on the black community lingers today. He is one of the most famous poets in American history and his fight for the rights of his community were apparent in his writings. He was proud of his race, but the other side of Langston Hughes was hidden and buried with him.
The other side of Langston Hughes was his homosexuality. While he was a pillar for the black community, he kept his sexuality relatively under wraps. He tried to not show weakness in black solidarity, and homosexuality was looked down upon, no matter the race. Many of poets who knew Hughes say he curbed his full potential by not showing the world the differences within the black community. Yet, Hughes’ writing had many subtle hints of gay love and loss. “We wear the mask that grins and lies, It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes,— This debt we pay to human guile; With torn and bleeding hearts we smile, And mouth with myriad subtleties.” This hints at the fact that his life, his work, was a mask for yet another layer to him, one that was not just skin deep. This mask however was a protection from, yet another minority group Hughes could check off. He was never truly open about his sexuality, there has been many speculations, and his writings have been dissected time and time again. However, it may be, his sexuality influenced his life and his life influenced his writing. His influence on the black community was strong, and while his influence on the LGBTQ+ community was not as strong, he was still a gay black man who wrote about his experiences.
Langston Hughes was a trendsetter and complete visionary in writing. This month we need to honor people like Langston Hughes, who came before us, and wrote about their struggles. Even though they were not explicitly queer related, he is a historically queer figure who created change for his communities. As we celebrate his work, his life, his death, we must thank him and the many others, because one step up for one minority is a step up for us all.
A Dream Deferred:
What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up Like a raisin in the sun? […] Or does it explode?
Resources:
By. (2017, May 21). Celebrating Langston Hughes - black, red, and gay. Retrieved February 03, 2021, from https://blog.lareviewofbooks.org/essays/celebrating-langston-hughes-black-red-gay/
Als, H. (n.d.). The elusive Langston Hughes. Retrieved February 03, 2021, from https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/02/23/sojourner
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