From the Vaults: The Legacy of Langston HughesTop of Mind with Julie Rose • Season 1, Episode 581, Segment 4
Jun 26, 2017 • 18m
Guest: Kristin Matthews, PhD, Associate Professor of English, BYU
For this month’s segment of “From the Vaults,” we’re going to dive into the BYU Special Collections to celebrate one of America’s greatest poets: Langston Hughes. This year marks the 50th anniversary of his death. The “king” of the Harlem Renaissance was known for writing jazz-influenced poetry that reflected the daily lives of African-Americans at the time and was accessible to everyone, not just scholars. BYU Special Collections has a signed copy of his book of poetry, "The Dream Keeper." Professor Matthews argues that his dreams are still unrealized today.