Langston Hughes was a very accomplished poet who inspired not only the poetry world but the whole world. He was very influential during the civil rights movement and his poetry carried a certain power that encouraged the black community during the civil rights movement. Although Hughes is known for his legacy of greatness in his adulthood, it was during his childhood where he grew into the amazing poet that we remember him as today. Hughes was born on February 1, 1902, to James Hughes and Carrie Langston in Joplin, Missouri and shortly after Langston’s birth, his parents separated and he spent most of his youth being raised by his grandmother, Mary. Sadly, she died during his teenage years, so he ended up living in several places with his mother until they ended up in Cleveland, Ohio. Shortly after Langston began to write poetry, which leads him to meet his influences Carl Sandbury and Walt Whitman. He participated in literary and poetry magazines where he published one of his first published works, “The Negro Speaks of River”. He graduated high school in 1920 and attended Columbia University for a short time from 1921 to 1922, then went on to live in Paris in 1924 to be inspired and to develop more as a poet and publish his poetry and the rest is history. (“Langston Hughes” 2020).

Hughes was very influential and was a pivotal figure during the Harlem Renaissance, which was a period that sparked and showcased black intelligence and innovation based in Harlem, New. Black writers, musicians, speakers, etc. made themselves known to the masses with their revolutionary outlooks on the world and experiences in the United States. It was a time that brought black people together that was supported by black businesses which created many economic opportunities more all people involved. (“An Introduction to the Harlem Renaissance” 2020). Hughes many different types of literary pieces during this time including novels, essays, plays, and poems, but one poem that stood out during this time was “The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain” which spoke on how black people should speak and express themselves freely because they are beautiful the way they are, despite what the world thinks. This was a message he practically lived by because his works did not come without plenty of critics from white and black communities. Since Hughes wrote about the good and the bad about the black experience, black intellectuals spoke out against Hughes arguing that his works showed America an undesirable outlook on black life and of course whites did not agree with his rhetoric because he was a black man in the 1920s who wrote and spoke freely. Hughes was truly a man that was and still is revered for his works today, Donald B. Gibson speaks on Hughes in his book Modern Black Poets: A Collection of Critical Essays saying that “Hughes has the greatest reputation (worldwide) that any black writer has ever had…he addressed his poetry to the people, specifically to black people…he has been unlike most nonblack poets…was a poet of the people” (“Langston Hughes” 2020) This speaks to how truly great and adored Hughes is through all of his works.

Malcolm X is considered one of the most important figures of the civil rights movement. He is known for his more militant outlook on the protest which rivaled the methods of peaceful protest that Martin Luther King preached during this time. He is known for his high moral stature and discipline in the nation of Islam, but he had many struggles before he “woke up” per se, beginning with his childhood. Malcolm was born in Nebraska but moved to Michigan at a young age. He began experiencing racial prejudice and resentment right away at 9 years old when his father died after being run over by a train as a result of racist whites killing him. Then shortly after his mother was committed to an insane asylum resulting in Malcolm and his siblings entering the foster care system. This led Malcolm to eventually dropping out of school after the eighth grade and move from one detention home to another. He then entered into a life of crime becoming known as “Detroit Red” in the streets where he sold drugs and stole. This behavior landed him in prison where his life changed forever. Through conversations with brother Reginald, Malcolm changed his ways, he stopped using drugs and drinking; he began to abide by the Nation’s dietary restrictions, educated himself by reading every book he could get his hand on, and changed his last name to “X” due to the belief that his original name originated from his white slaveowners. After being released from prison he became very involved in the Nation of Islam and after meeting Elijah Muhammad, he began to organize temples in New York, Philadelphia, and Boston. He was the founder of the official newspaper for the Nation of Islam Muhammad Speaks, which provided a stream of income for the Nation. Malcolm rose in the Nation due to his ability to speak in front of crowds and articulate his points vividly. He began to see behind the veil while being Muhammad’s right-hand man, seeing that Muhammad broke the moral code by fathering multiple kids with his staff. This devastated Malcolm which ended up hurting his relationship with the nation as a whole leading to Malcolm eventually leaving the Nation in 1964. (“Malcolm X” 2020).

After leaving the Nation he began to change his methods and became more willing to unify with other black leaders to achieve equal rights for black people in the United States. He began to change the conversation from civil rights to human rights and grow in the knowledge of ways to help the world as a whole. While Malcolm is making these strides the Nation and Malcolm’s relationship continues to be hostile leading to his assassination in Harlem, New York and even though three members of the Nation were convicted of the murder some argue that the murder is still not solved. Although Malcolm is no longer with us doesn’t mean that his influence is not still here, we see Malcolm’s movements such as Black Lives Matter and many other black militant movements. His story can serve as encouragement for many people because he was a man who completely changed his life, he was considered a criminal and uneducated but instead of accepting that he turned his life around and will go down as one of the most influential figures in American history. 

W.E.B. Dubois is known as a civil rights activist, educator, writer, poet, and scholar. He is an alumnus of the illustrious Fisk University and graduate of Harvard University. He is seen as one of the most coveted scholars of all time with his influence, work ethic, and ideals still being prevalent today. But before he built his legacy, he was just a mulatto child from Massachusetts. William Edward Burghardt Du Bois was born on February 23, 1868, in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. He unlike most blacks during this time attended white schools and shared the curriculum and the spaces with white kids during his childhood. It wasn’t until he attended Fisk University that he experienced the Jim Crow south and the troubles that came along with living in the south. After completing his degree at Fisk, he attended Harvard University where he obtained his doctoral degree. After leaving graduate school, he became an educator, teaching at Wilberforce University in Ohio. It was here where he married one of his students and began to settle to create a family. He began to analyze the state of the African American and develop studies that explained where we were as a community. One of those being The Philadelphia Negro which Dubois was so dedicated to that he missed the birth of his first son. This study contained interviews with hundreds of people in the black community, it was one of his many statistical studies that revealed that poverty, crime, education, etc. were things that plagued the black community. (“W.E.B. Du Bois” 2009).

Despite his numerous amounts of accomplishments and works, his best and most recognized work is argued to be The Souls of Black Folks. In this amazing work, he details his experience with the veil of black consciousness in America because black people are constantly to act one way in public and another way in private. The reason this work is so revered is that it still reigns true today, over a hundred years after its release because black people are still experiencing the constant fight that happens inside the veil. Aside from his great works, Dubois will always be remembered for his willingness to learn and his constant desire to help his community. His legacy continues through the NAACP-which he co-founded- by continuing to fight for the betterment of black people in America.

All three of these figures are seen as American heroes today but it is fair to say that they were not seen this way when they were speaking out for those who were underappreciated and voiceless. These three figures changed the world in different ways using their talents and personal journeys to connect with our people to make the world a better place as a whole. We can all use them as inspirations for our lives that despite having obstacles in our way, we can still succeed and leave a legacy that will make the world better.