[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 15246]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      A TRIBUTE TO LANGSTON HUGHES

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, July 26, 2002

  Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, this year is the 100th anniversary of the 
birth of Langston Hughes (February 1, 1902). Schools, universities, 
libraries, and organizations around the country are celebrating his 
life. I want to take the time to recognize an outstanding individual 
who has contributed greatly to this country.
  Hughes was born in Joplin, Missouri to abolitionist parents and 
attended high school in Cleveland, Ohio where he first began writing 
poetry. At his father's encouragement, Hughes attended Columbia 
University to studying engineering for a ``practical'' job. However, 
Hughes left the field in order to pursue his love for words. Hughes 
received a scholarship to Lincoln University, in Pennsylvania, where he 
eventually received his B.A. degree in 1929. His first published poem 
was ``The Negro Speaks of Rivers'' and became one of his most famous 
works.
  Hailed as a genius, Hughes gave the gift of words to a country in 
turmoil. His writing began to flourish during the Harlem Renaissance of 
the 1920's and 30's, a time in which racism, war, the Depression, and 
other social ills plagued this nation. Hughes traveled throughout 
Europe, West and Central Africa during the early 1920's and returned to 
Harlem in 1924.
  In the following year he moved from Harlem to Washington, DC. While 
in our nation's capital, he was heavily influenced by the blues and 
jazz scene. His work captured the dynamic of black music on paper, 
inspiring academia to study and recognize the uniqueness of black music 
as being an authentic American art form.
  Some of Hughes' most famous works are Not Without Laughter (1930), 
The Big Sea (1940), and I Wonder As I Wander (1956), his 
autobiographies. His poetry includes Tambourines To Glory (1958), The 
Weary Blues (1926), The Negro Mother and other Dramatic Recitations 
(1931), The Dream Keeper (1932), Shakespeare In Harlem (1942), and The 
Best of Simple (1961).
  In all, he wrote 16 books of poems, two novels, three collections of 
short stories, four volumes of editorial and documentary-type fiction, 
20 plays, children's poetry, musicals and operas, 3 autobiographies, a 
dozen radio and television scripts and dozens of magazine articles. He 
also edited seven anthologies.
  He continued throughout his life to write and edit literary works up 
until his death on May 22, 1967 when he succumbed to cancer. Later, his 
residence at 20 East 127th Street in Harlem was given landmark status 
by the New York City Preservation Commission. His block of East 127th 
Street was renamed ``Langston Hughes Place.''
  We are inspired by the words of Langston Hughes; ``We build our 
temples for tomorrow, as strong as we know how and we stand on the top 
of the mountain, free within ourselves.'' Hughes was a notable figure 
in America's history and his voice will live on throughout future 
generations.

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