Hughes, Langston (James Langston Hughes), 1902-67, American poet and central figure of the Harlem Renaissance, b. Joplin, Mo., grad. Lincoln Univ., 1929. He worked at a variety of jobs and lived in several countries, including Mexico and France, before Vachel Lindsay discovered his poetry in 1925. The publication of The Weary Blues (1926), his first volume of poetry, enabled Hughes to attend Lincoln Univ. in Pennsylvania, from which he graduated in 1929. His writing, which often uses dialect and jazz rhythms, is largely concerned with depicting African American life, particularly the experience of the urban African American. Among his later collections of poetry are Shakespeare in Harlem (1942), One-Way Ticket (1949), and Selected Poems (1959). Hughes's numerous other works include several plays, notably Mulatto (1935); books for children, such as The First Book of Negroes (1952); and novels, including Not Without Laughter (1930). His newspaper sketches about Jesse B. Simple were collected in The Best of Simple (1961).

(born Feb. 1, 1902, Joplin, Mo., U.S.—died May 22, 1967, New York, N.Y.) U.S. poet and writer. He published the poem “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” when he was 19, briefly attended Columbia University, and worked on an Africa-bound freighter. His literary career was launched when Hughes, working as a busboy, presented his poems to Vachel Lindsay as he dined. Hughes's poetry collections include The Weary Blues (1926) and Montage of a Dream Deferred (1951). His later The Panther and the Lash (1967) reflects black anger and militancy. Among his other works are short stories (including “The Ways of White Folks,” 1934), autobiographies, many works for the stage, anthologies, and translations of poetry by Federico García Lorca and Gabriela Mistral. His well-known comic character Jesse B. Semple, called Simple, appeared in his newspaper columns.

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Langston is a town in Jackson County, Alabama, United States, and is included in the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area. As of the 2000 census, the population of the town is 254.

Geography

Langston is located at (34.534817, -86.082169).

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 8.3 square miles (21.4 km²), of which, 5.0 square miles (13.1 km²) of it is land and 3.2 square miles (8.4 km²) of it (39.06%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 254 people, 109 households, and 80 families residing in the town. The population density was 50.4 people per square mile (19.5/km²). There were 193 housing units at an average density of 38.3/sq mi (14.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 94.09% White, 3.15% Black or African American and 2.76% Native American.

There were 109 households out of which 21.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.5% were married couples living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.7% were non-families. 25.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.74.

In the town the population was spread out with 19.3% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 22.4% from 25 to 44, 35.0% from 45 to 64, and 16.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females there were 91.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.8 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $33,333, and the median income for a family was $42,344. Males had a median income of $26,750 versus $29,375 for females. The per capita income for the town was $16,266. About 2.7% of families and 6.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under the age of eighteen and 13.9% of those sixty five or over.

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