News

On this day in 1976: Langston Hughes, Harlem Renaissance icon, dies at age 65

Clay Cane
May 22, 2024

Reading Time: < 1 minute

On May 22, 1967, in New York City, Langston Hughes, renowned poet, playwright, and columnist, passed away due to complications from prostate cancer at the age of 65.

Langston Hughes, foreground, shown in his boyhood hometown of Lawrence, Kan., circa 1914. Hughes left Lawrence a year later to live with his mother in Lincoln, Illinois. He eventually moved to New York, where he became the literary stalwart of the Harlem Renaissance cultural movement of the 1920s. Man in background is unidentified. (AP Photo)

A leading figure of the Harlem Renaissance movement in the 1920s and 1930s, Hughes was born on February 1, 1902, in Joplin, Missouri. His literary creations were profoundly shaped by the vibrant jazz and blues culture of Harlem.

Hughes delved into the collective African American experience in his writings, drawing from both his own encounters and his travels to Mexico, Europe, and Africa.

Click play to listen to the AURN News report from Clay Cane. Follow @claycane & @aurnonline for more.

Clay Cane is an award-winning journalist, writer, radio host, and political commentator. A graduate of Rutgers University with a degree in African-American Studies, his work on race, culture, and politics have appeared in national publications, including the Washington Post, CNN, and The Grio. Clay is a regular political commentator on MSNBC. Twitter: @claycane