Langston Hughes’ poem, “Cross,” can be seen as based on his experiences with racism during the Harlem Renaissance period. As a result of the cultural expression that Hughes was exposed to growing up and later being a part of, he was able to express his intimate parental relationship that he composed in “Cross,” during the Renaissance period. During his time period, Langston was known as the most active, most published, and most beloved writers of the Harlem Renaissance. His position as a literary and cultural ambassador won him many awards. Langston’s teachings and literary works, particularly “Cross,” heightened the awareness of the diversity, the talent, and the depth of the African American culture (Brown). Biographical critics tend
