News at Eleven: In a time of heightened racism,

[Langston] Hughes, along with his colleagues in the Harlem Renaissance, helped redefine and reshape the image America held toward African-Americans.

David Peavler, director of the African-American studies department at Marshall, said that Hughes is the focal point of the Harlem Renaissance.

"When you look at the heart of the Harlem Renaissance, you see Langston Hughes at the center of all the movements of African Americans in Hughes' time," Peavler said. "He was a major figure."

from The Parthenon: Langston Hughes: A legacy in words

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