For hundreds of years people have been hated, tortured, and even killed because of their ethic background, religion, and/or race. People have been treated with animosity as a result of being black, gay, Jewish, mentally challenged, lower class, Indian, etcetera. Langston Hughes, a famous black author, was a victim of this austere rancor. Through his works, some created first hand from his own life experiences, Langston hoped to change the way people treated each other. His writing portrayed the everyday practices of African Americans, and focused on the issues of racism and the failure of African Americans to realize the American Dream. These were best presented in his most clear-cut and candid short stories.
James Langston Hughes was born in Joplin, Missouri on February 1, 1902. His father deserted his family and he was subsequently raised by his grandmother. His grandfather died during the insurrection at Harpers Ferry. Hughes" Grandmother played a major role in his life. She taught him about famous black people in society in the early 1900's. She educated him about Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth, and introduced him to the writings of William Du Bois at an early age. Langston's grandmother also took him to see Booker T. Washington speak in public.
.
When he was young Langston was admitted to a white public school. The school board did not want to admit him due to the color of his skin. His mother, however, went before the board and battled to get him accepted. She won and Hughes was accepted into the Hamson Street School. Most of the teachers at the school were nice to him. One, however, made remarks about him being colored. As a result, after school classmates would grab stones and tin cans from the ally and chase him home. Langston also had other negative experiences. James Presley notes "one summer in Chicago when he was a teen-ager Langston Hughes felt the American Dream explode in his face; a gang of white youths beat him up so badly that he went home with blacked eyes and a swollen jaw.