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James Mercer Langston Hughes

James Mercer Langston Hughes (later known as Langston Hughes) was born in Joplin, Missouri on February 1, 1902. His parents, James Nathaniel and Carrie Langston Hughes, separated shortly after. (Meltzer) His father moved to Mexico because in the United States he couldn’t take the bar test to become a Lawyer like he could in Mexico. Him and his mother moved around and lived in various places where’ve she could get work until he was 5 years old when his father sent for his family, but an earthquake shook Ms. Hughes all up and she took Langston back to the States with hate in her heart for James Nathaniel and his Mexico. (Meltzer)
She sent Langston to live with her mother; Mary Leary Langston in Lawrence, Kansas and it was from his grandmother that he learned to be proud to be black and that education is what is most important. Mary Leary Langston died when he was 12 and a family known as The Reeds took him in because they were so fond of Langston and his grandmother.
When Langston was 14 years old his mother came back for him with a step-father, Homer Clarke. They moved to Cleveland because it was there that Homer Clarke worked. Langston went to Central High School and his senior year was selected Class Poet. (Meltzer) In 1920 his father contacted him and asked for him to come visit his father in Mexico. Langston decided to go visit his wealthy father but as he stayed there for the summer he learned that his father was racist against blacks, Mexicans and Indians and thought they were inferior and lazy.
His father also was very materialistic and wanted Langston to give up his dream of being a writer and study to be something more practical like a bookkeeper. (Berry) It was this horrible summer that Langston wrote The Negro Speaks of Rivers and got it published in the Crisis. After that, Langston convinced his father to fund his college education for him to go to Columbian University in New York. Langston only went to school for a year before he dropped out and...