Analysis Of Langston Hughes And The Civil Rights Movement

Revolutions have occurred since the dawn of time - it is common sense that when people do not get what they want, they will try to forcefully obtain it. These revolutions were caused for a multitude of reasons: for example, the longing for freedom, opposition to the current government, or because people were discontent with their current standard of living. Many revolutions did have one aspect in common, though: they were extremely violent and often led to the deaths of thousands of people. However, in the 1900s, a mostly nonviolent revolution appeared: the fight for racial equality. It was fronted mainly by people who fought against oppression through words and art. Although working in different mediums, the three artists and activists Aaron

This not only demonstrates how Africans all around the world were dissatisfied with their current standard of living, but also how they decided to rebel against those who were oppressing them. Both King’s speech and Douglas’ mural depict how black society had evolved to create the worldwide movement for equal rights. People had become discontent with the way in which they were treated by society, and so they joined together to start a social revolution. In addition to speeches and art, poetry was also used to communicate the idea that black society has progressed into a movement fighting for equal rights. Langston Hughes was a prominent poet during the Harlem Renaissance, and illustrated that idea in his poem “I, Too.” He wrote, “They send me to the kitchen / When company comes / But I laugh / And eat well / And grow strong” (Hughes 3-7). By mentioning how the narrator is separated, Hughes is alluding to segregation. In this way, the narrator represents the black race as a whole. Hughes also mentions how the narrator grows strong, which can be interpreted as representing how blacks started to grow stronger as a race and fight for their rights. They were unfazed by the hate they received, and instead became empowered because of it. The progression of black society into a powerful movement as described in “I, Too” was mirrored in Martin Luther King’s speech “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop,” which was presented nearly forty years later at the height of the Civil Rights Movement. In the speech, King