James Langston Hughes
James Langston Hughes, an American writer, was born into an abolitionist family on February 1, 1902 in Joplin, Missouri. He was the grandson of James Mercer Langston, the first black American to be elected into a public office in 1855. Hughes?s parents divorced when he was a small child because of a mutual agreement dealing with too much arguing between them. His wealthy father ended up moving to Mexico and his mother moved around constantly looking for work. Langston was no stranger to poverty since he made some of the journeys to different areas with his mother and there wasn?t always enough money to support them wherever they lived. He had already lived in 6 different cities by the age of 12. The majority of the time though he was raised by his grandmother until the age of 13 so that he wouldn?t have to live in the poor environment with his mother. His grandmother took very good care of him and told him stories about heroic ancestors who had fought slavery and racism. She instilled a lasting sense of pride in his heritage and culture. Langston regarded her as the
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