Langston Hughes

That Langston Hughes was born in Joplin is only part of the reason that the renowned poet is celebrated each year at Missouri Southern State University.

“The celebration has been ongoing because Hughes has the tie with being born in Joplin, that was the genesis of the whole thing,” said Dr. Doris Walters, coordinator of the event. “But in the literary world, he is thought of as one of the greatest 20th century poets and one of the greatest African American poets.”

The 14th annual Langston Hughes Celebration will be held at 7 p.m. today in Webster Hall at Missouri Southern State University.

The free event is presented by the English department at Missouri Southern in conjunction with the Joplin NAACP.

Hughes, who was born in Joplin in 1902, was a major figure in the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s. In addition to his poetry, he also wrote a number of novels, plays, short stories and books for children.

Walters said that Hughes’ works will be honored during the celebration through both poetry and music.

Monique Canada, a student at Missouri Southern, will sing, and poetry will be presented by Alexis Mallory, faculty member Michael Rogers and 10-year-old Adelle Kanan.

Mark Lloyd, from the university’s admissions department, will serve as master of ceremonies and Dr. Gloria Payne will also help introduce part of the program.

The featured speaker this year will be Dr. Carmaletta Williams, a professor of English at Johnson County Community College in Overland Park, Kan., and author of “Do Nothing Till You Hear from Me: Langston Hughes in the Classroom.”

The book is a study guide that helps to break down the different genres that Hughes wrote in and ways in which teachers can incorporate them into their classes.

She also will have an essay in “Montage,” an upcoming collection of works about Hughes, that focuses on letters written by Hughes and his mother, Carrie.

In addition to the annual Joplin celebration, Williams said that there are others held each year in Lawrence, Kan., and Cleveland, Ohio.
“He is probably the most important African American writer, so it’s natural that there be this many celebrations for him,” she said.

During the event at Missouri Southern, Williams will present a program about Hughes and his legacy. She said that she hopes that those attending leave with a better appreciation of who he was.

“His was not an easy struggle,” she said. “His life was difficult and being able to write was difficult. But he was determined that he was going to write and represent the people, and he did that.

“I hope people have an appreciation for how hard that was.”

Admission to the 14th annual Langston Hughes Celebration is free and open to the public.