Glenn Hughes

As a result of the multitudes of eye-opening written works describing the African American plight, modern day society has become more progressive and determined to fight for racial equality. By recounting the persecution of African Americans, the poem “Sympathy” by Paul Laurence Dunbar and Maya Angelou’s autobiography “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” contribute to the quest for equal rights. Moreover, these pieces of literature share a central idea as they both focus on the African American…

Harlem, New York City, is known for the renaissance movement of art and music that emerged during the early 20th century. The “New Negro Movement” embraced African American culture and pride in opposition to the institutionalized and popular racism that followed many black people from the south. Extremely high rents kept tenants in Harlem poor and in this atmosphere, the cycle of oppression and violence was nearly impossible to escape. In the novel The Street, author Ann Petry illuminates the…

The Breakfast Club (1985) directed by John Hughes, illustrates the contrasting personalities of teenagers Allison, Andrew, Brian, Claire and John, as they spend their Saturday morning in detention. From early on, each character is portrayed to belong to a certain clique within their high school. Through this, the film highlights the different labels put on each individual, their more or less hostile interactions, and what factors influence the nature of these interactions. From the beginning,…

Langston Hughes creates this poem by incorporating crucial details, words, and images to prove his point on the paradox he has created in the two worlds he identifies in his writing. Hughes reveals his inferior stature in the college he attends by stating he is the only “colored” male in his class. Not only that, Hughes takes time to explain that he returns home from the college by going “down into Harlem,” and traveling “up” to his room. The meticulous use of “down” and “up” emphasizes the…

Pache Vang INDIVIDUAL ORAL PRESENTATION For my Individual Oral Presentation, I will be exploring Harlem Sweeties, by Langston Hughes, and explain the writing techniques used in Harlem Sweeties, as well as his embrace of the bi-racial realities in Harlem, more specifically, black women of different shades. Then connect it to his view of his own race, which is shown in his poem, My People. I will then, compare the poem, My People, to Zora Neale Hurston’s essay, How It Feels To Be A Colored Me,…

The Chicano Civil Rights Movement was a movement that took off in the 1960’s which was also when the civil rights movement was in full motion through out the united states. With increased political activity from African American groups to produce much needed change as well as the implantation of the civil rights act of 1964 its easy to see why the Chicano Movement flourished. The 1960’s was a time of political activism which helped move forward the goals of not only African Americans and Mexican…

The Harlem Renaissance was a time of empowerment and cultural growth for African Americans and this is reflected in the literature form that era. In the empowering poem, “Hey Black Child” by Useni Perkins the speaker explores the idea of self-empowerment in order to promote the idea of cultural advancement. Perkins uses repetition to convey the message that if young black children remain hopeful and remember that they matter and they can acquire achievement through dedication and education they…

Influence of Harlem Renaissance on Langston Hughes Harlem Renaissance, in other words, the cultural awakening of African American culture, remains as the most influential movements in African American literacy history. The movement took place between the 1920s and the 1940s, when there was a rapid growth in support for modernism and the civil rights movement. Therefore, the modernism movement, that encouraged people to break the norms and the civil rights movement, which tried to bring equality…

Past and Present Racial Issues Whether it is a drama, poem, or short story, all literature that is written has a main idea, or theme. Sometimes, literature will have a common theme. Two poems with a similar theme about race are “La Migra” by Pat Mora and “Ballad of Birmingham” by Dudley Randall. A short story that focuses on the same theme is the short story “Big Black Good Man” by Richard Wright. These different poems and short stories share a similar theme of race which is a current theme that…

3 The Jazz age or roaring twenties influenced the moral traditions of women greatly. Women start to cut their hair short,, smoked cigarettes, involved themselves in alcohol liquor, stared putting on make up and dresses and short skirt. These cultures of women still continue to survived up to present day today. Women wear mini skirts, go to parties, indulge themselves in smoke cigarettes and alcohol even in front of their kids. I believe women wanted to show that they are equal to men and…