Some of the most popular cultural people of American history have been African American. By showing the richness of African American heritage and tradition, black authors greatly encouraged culture today. Zora Neale Hurston, Maya Angelou, and Langston Hughes are among the most popular and the most celebrated African American novelists and poets.
             Even though William Edward Burghardt (W.E.B.) DuBois is most commonly known as the first colored person to graduate from Harvard and cofounder of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), DuBois still greatly influenced culture by being a writer. W.E.B. DuBois did write some books, such as his 1903 backlash against Booker T. Washington known as The Souls of Black Folks, the bulk of his writing influence came from his position as editor-in-chief of the NAACP's Crisis magazine. By being the only person picking and writing the articles that he believed would uplift blacks toward the movement for equality, DuBois had a tremendous impact on the Civil Rights' movement of the 1960s (which has drastically changed culture as we know it today).
             Black poets such as Maya Angelou and Langston Hughes were also very important in the encouragement of African American culture in America. Maya Angelou is a poet whose several volumes of autobiographical accounts explore the themes of economic, racial, and sexual oppression. As well as being a poet, Angelou is the author of twelve best-selling books such as I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and A Song Flung Up to Heaven. Her wonderful lyrics throughout her poetry and other types of writing helped to erase the race barrier for many readers during the days of discrimination. Like Angelou, Langston Hughes was a writer and a poet. Hughes' writing ranged from autobiography to "documentary" fiction with some of his stories actually appearing in the NAACP's Crisis magazine. Despite his skillful...