Perspective

The author of Not without Laughter is the famous early twentieth century black novelist, playwright and editorialist Langston Hughes (1902-1967). Hughes was one of the most prominent members of the Harlem Renaissance. Both of Hughes parents were mixed-race and were well-to-do. He was raised in a number of small towns in the Midwest. Hughes family were some of the first to make major social achievements for blacks in the United States. His great-uncle was the first black US Congressman from Virginia. His maternal grandmother was among the first women to be admitted to Oberlin College. Her first husband died in the raid on Harper's Ferry. Langston's maternal grandfather was an active educator and fought for black voting rights in Kansas.

These familial details are important. Not only did Hughes grow up in the Midwest, but he had the privilege and education and background to expect a lot of...