Langston Hughes

Born today, February 1, 1902, Hughes moved to Cleveland in 1916 and attended Central High School where his writing was encouraged by his teachers and others and where his first works appeared.

One of Hughes’ signature poems, “The Negro Speaks of Rivers“, was first published in 1921 and appeared in the NAACP’s official journal, The Crisis.

The Ohio Center for the Book encourages you to explore Hughes’ work by visiting the following online resources: