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This poetry is just as relevant today as the day it was written. The vast majority of it could be describing life right now in the middle of 2020. This should be studied in schools to show students the human side of the things they should be studying, but often are not, in their history classes. Wonderful, powerful, brilliant. I can‘t say enough good things about Hughes and this collection.
#LangstonHughes #ThePantherAndTheLash #poetry

As a historian, I feel like I have to defend and justify my chosen field and my profession everyday, trying to convince people of this very thing. It‘s become a cliche that not learning from history dooms people to repeat it; meanwhile, we‘re sitting here repeating it. 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻

This seemed to fit with another book I‘m current reading. The other book talked about freedom in a very immature way. This is a far more mature view of freedom, aware of the fact that freedom doesn‘t just magically happen and that it‘s no really available to everyone. If you can‘t bake, freedom just stays on someone else‘s cake, as it were.
#LangstonHughes #ThePantherAndTheLash #poetry

This is an interesting role reversal. I think I read this 3-4 times. 💙💙💙
#LangstonHughes #ThePantherAndTheLash #poetry

Another poem that could so easily be written today.
#LangstonHughes #ThePantherAndTheLash #poetry #oppression

Sadly, this is still true (apart from the president part).
#LangstonHughes #ThePantherAndTheLash #poetry

I‘m surprised this isn‘t Trump‘s 2020 campaign slogan. It‘s not like he‘s too subtle for that sort of thing.
It‘s truly stunning how much of this is clearly about the 1960s, but also perfectly describes Trump‘s America.
#LangstonHughes #ThePantherAndTheLash #poetry #VoteHimOut #DumpTrump

This is a great dedication.
#LangstonHughes #ThePantherAndTheLash #poetry

Reading this little gem next in my adventure in poetry.
#LangstonHughes #ThePantherAndTheLash #poetry

I could not sleep last night so I started this book. There has not been enough Langston Hughes in my life.

Excited about this library haul from the other day. I‘ve been focussing on finishing on books I‘ve had going for a while (I‘ll be down to four from nine today 😬) so it‘s good to feel like I can read something new. Checked out the library‘s poetry section the first time.

Enough of "thoughts and prayers."

White backlash-- a quintessentially American cycle from Langston Hughes' time to today.

From Langston Hughes' 1967 poetry volume. I was so struck by how relevant the poems are today, I want to share a few. #poetry #classicbyanauthorofcolor #readharderchallenge

I'm a VERY reluctant poetry reading but these were just fantastic. Beautiful, direct language and I actually had to pace myself so I wouldn't read this all in one go -- I really wanted to savor the words. This was checked out on a whim after I saw Hughes mentioned in quite a few other places and I am so happy I picked it up. I'm definitely buying a copy for myself.
#BlackHistoryMonth #ReadDiverseBooks

From "Vari-Colored Song"
#LitsyPoetry365 @SharonGoforth

#BlackHistoryMonth

From the poem, "Freedom"
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The crux of the problem

#LitsyPoetry365 @SharonGoforth

#LitsyPoetry365 @SharonGoforth

My daughter memorized this poem for a presentation at school a few months ago. She did it so beautifully.

#LitsyPoetry365 @SharonGoforth

From the poem "Question and Answer"

#HarlemRenaissance

Another of Langston Hughes' poems that foreshadows Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's movement for liberty and justice for all.

#litsypoetry365

So many poems from this volume are appropriate to remember Dr Martin Luther King Jr today.

#MLKDay

#litsypoety365 @SharonGoforth

From "The Third Degree"

Sadly, Hughes's protest poems are still relevant today.

#insomnia + #illness has me posting today's #litsypoetry365 early.

@SharonGoforth

#litsypoetry365 @SharonGoforth

#litsypoetry365 @SharonGoforth