"To start with, one must know what he was: an American and black. And for the Afro-American, life in the land where `white is right' had always been different" (Tracy Sugarman front jacket). Langston Hughes is a well known poet in today's world. His works are beautiful, in terms of using the English language, and have a deep and important theme for his readers. He conveyed a message about the racist world in which African Americans had to live. "Few doubt the significance of Langston Hughes' presence in twentieth century American literature" (Meta DuEwa Jones 1). Hughes' influence was dramatic indeed. The predominant culture disliked African Americans during the time that Hughes wrote and this was reflected in many of his works. "Good writing, Langston Hughes believed, comes out of your own life" (Milton Meltzer intro. ix). Hughes' writings are exquisite only partially because of his understanding of racism...