Chapter 19, The Bloody Spanish Earth Summary

In the spring of 1937 Hughes traveled to Spain as a correspondent for the African American, a Baltimore based publication. Hughes was to report about African Americans and their role in the war in Spain. This was a dangerous assignment, and Hughes filled out his will before leaving for Paris in July. The day after arriving in France, he headed for Barcelona, which had recently been bombed by German and Italian aircraft.

Barcelona was a war zone, and for six months, Hughes lived near the front line. He talked to American soldiers in the International Brigade, an interracial company of soldiers. During this time, Langston wrote "Tomorrow's Seed," a poem dedicated to these soldiers. Hughes also spent some time in Madrid, where he stayed at the Alianza, a large mansion that housed many artists. Madrid was...