Langston Hughes

Yet the ivory gods, And the ebony gods, And the gods of diamond-jade, Are only silly puppet gods That people themselves Have made.-

It is the duty of the younger Negro artist . . . to change through the force of his art that old whispering "I want to be white," hidden in the aspirations of his people, to "Why should I want to be white? I am a Negro - and beautiful!"

We younger Negro artists who create now intend to express our individual dark-skinned selves without fear or shame. If white people are pleased, we are glad. If they are not, it doesn't matter. We know we are beautiful. And ugly too. The tom-tom cries and the tom-tom laughs. If colored people are pleased, we are glad. If they are not, it doesn't matter either. We build our temples for tomorrow, strong as we know how, and we stand on top of the mountain, free within ourselves.

Hang yourself, poet, in your own words. _x000D_ Otherwise, you are dead.

Words Like Freedom There are words like Freedom Sweet and wonderful to say. On my heartstrings freedom sings All day everyday. There are words like Liberty That almost make me cry. If you had known what I know You would know why.

I am a Negro: Black as the night is black, Black like the depths of my Africa.

Humor is laughing at what you haven't got when you ought to have it.

My personal experience has been that in my 25 years of writing, I have not been asked to do more than four or five commercial one-shot scripts. These were performed on major national hook-ups but produced for me no immediate additional jobs or requests. One script for BBC was done around the world with an all-star cast.

Even the 'Negro' shows like 'Amos and Andy' and 'Beulah' are written largely by white writers - the better to preserve the stereotypes, I imagine.

Let the rain sing you a lullaby.

I'm so tired of waiting, aren't you, for the world to become good and beautiful and kind?

I look at my own body _x000D_ With eyes no longer blind- _x000D_ And I see that my own hands can make _x000D_ The world that's in my mind.

Good morning, Revolution: You're the very best friend I ever had. We gonna pal around together from now on

Good morning, daddy! Ain't you heard The boogie-woogie rumble Of a dream deferred? • • • • You think It's a happy beat?

Looks like what drives me crazy Don't have no effect on you-- But I'm gonna keep on at it Till it drives you crazy, too.

Life is a system of half-truths and lies, Opportunistic, convenient evasion.

Let the rain kiss you._x000D_ _x000D_ Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops._x000D_ _x000D_ Let the rain sing you a lullaby._x000D_ _x000D_ The rain makes still pools on the sidewalk._x000D_ _x000D_ The rain makes running pools in the gutter._x000D_ _x000D_ The rain plays a little sellp-song on our roof at night-_x000D_ _x000D_ And I love the rain.

America never was America to me And yet I swear this oath - America will be!

To create a market for your writing you have to be consistent, professional, a continuing writer - not just a one-article or a one-story or a one-book man.

I’s been livin’ a long time in yesterday, Sandy chile, an’ I knows there ain’t no room in de world fo’ nothin’ mo’n love. I know, chile! Ever’thing there is but lovin’ leaves a rust on yo’ soul. An’ to love sho ‘nough, you got to have a spot in yo’ heart fo’ ever’body – great an’ small, white an’ black, an’ them what’s good an’ them what’s evil – ‘cause love ain’t got no crowded-out places where de good ones stay an’ de bad ones can’t come in. When it gets that way, then it ain’t love.

Out of love, No regrets-- Though the goodness Be wasted forever. Out of love, No regrets-- Though the return Be never.