"My seeking has been to explain and illuminate the Negro condition in America and obliquely that of all humankind," said Langston Hughes. Hughes wrote this statement in 1967, explaining what he had tried to do throughout his long writing career" (Berry 5). James M. Langston Hughes overcame numerous hardships to become one of the most successful male authors in America. Born February 1, 1902, in Joplin, Missouri, to Carrie and James Hughes. Hughes was an only child. Carrie married James Hughes, who was like her of mixed blood; both of Hughes grandfathers were white. (Bloom 11) Their marriage did not last long. In 1903, his father left for Mexico; Hughes and his mother moved to Lawrence, Kansas, where Carrie's mother, Mary Langston lived. "Hughes spent his first 13 years in Lawrence, Kansas, where he lived with his maternal grandmother" (Blooms 11).
             "Langston's grandmother had financial trouble with the monthly mortgage payment; she often rented out every room in her house to boarders to pay the mortgage." (Berry 7) As a child, Hughes moved around a lot because of his stepfather search for a job. He stayed with his grandmother, mother, and other surrogate parents. That inspired him to write "Ten Thousand Beds" in one of his essays. (Smith) Hughes suffered from poverty and living in a segregated community. Hughes also faced discrimination in his school, which was integrated. He was not allowed to play on any team sports, was not allowed to swim in YMCA, and could not join the Boy Scouts because he was African American.
             At twelve Hughes's grandmother died, and then he went to live with a family of friends. Later, his mother came to get him to live with her in Lincoln, Illinois. Mrs. Hughes married Homer Clark, who had an infant son. Hughes liked the idea of having a stepfather. In Lincoln, Hughes did well in his education. His eighth-grade class voted him "class poet." (www.nytimes.com) Over the summer before high school, he and his...