Langston Hughes Medal
Encyclopedia
The Langston Hughes Medal is awarded annually to recognize an influential and engaging African American
writer. Established by the late Raymond Patterson, Professor Emeritus of English at the City College of New York
, the medal honors Langston Hughes
' life-long commitment to social change through works that reflect various cultures with roots in an African heritage. The award is given to a "literary work that has endeavored to engage, challenge and question their cultural milieu in the tradition of Langston Hughes."
In 1973, the late Raymond R. Patterson, Professor of English at the CCNY, founded the Langston Hughes Festival to celebrate Langston Hughes’s vision of himself as an African American citizen-poet
.
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
writer. Established by the late Raymond Patterson, Professor Emeritus of English at the City College of New York
City College of New York
The City College of the City University of New York is a senior college of the City University of New York , in New York City. It is also the oldest of the City University's twenty-three institutions of higher learning...
, the medal honors Langston Hughes
Langston Hughes
James Mercer Langston Hughes was an American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist. He was one of the earliest innovators of the then-new literary art form jazz poetry. Hughes is best known for his work during the Harlem Renaissance...
' life-long commitment to social change through works that reflect various cultures with roots in an African heritage. The award is given to a "literary work that has endeavored to engage, challenge and question their cultural milieu in the tradition of Langston Hughes."
In 1973, the late Raymond R. Patterson, Professor of English at the CCNY, founded the Langston Hughes Festival to celebrate Langston Hughes’s vision of himself as an African American citizen-poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
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