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Blacks were highly oppressed in the South for a long period of time. Then during the 1920s they finally left it to find a place where they could express themselves, this is what was called the Harlem Renaissance. The Harlem Renaissance was a change in the way American blacks saw their race. It was a huge reinforcement of their cultural pride. They were finally able to rejoice and freely show their talents. This was an epic eruption in the culture, society, and art of black americans.
Many intelligent successful authors were found during the Harlem Renaissance, among these writers were Langston Hughes, Wallace Thurman, and Zora Neal Hurston. The harlem renaissance brought along many changes in how whites viewed blacks. The image of a stereotypical …show more content…
He lived with his grandmother until it was arranged he would go live with his mother in Illinois. While living in Lincoln, Illinois he first started writing poems. After graduating high school he spent a year in Mexico, and then attended Columbia University in New York City. While going to college he held jobs like being an assistant cook, and busboy. He also worked as a seaman travelling to Africa and Europe. In November of 1924 he moved to Washington, D. C. He published his first book The Weary Blues in 1926. Three years later he finished his degree at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. In 1930 he won the Harmon Gold medal with his first novel Not Without Laughter. Hughes always said his main influences were Paul Dunbar, Walt Whitman, and Carl Sandburg. He is known for his portrayals of black life in America. He wrote novels,stories, plays, poetry, and was also interested in the world of jazz as it influenced his poem montage of a Dream Deferred. His life and work were important in shaping the art of the Harlem Renaissance. Hughes always refused to differentiate between his personal experience and the common experience of black America. He wanted to tell the stories of his people in ways that reflected their actual culture, including both their suffering and their love of music, laughter, and language

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