Civil rights:
Civil rights to all people should be given to all people. There were two ways that writers such as Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston decided to approach the theme of civil rights. Either way, it was very difficult to write about an entire race. It made them have to think about whether they wanted to compare or contrast cultures of white and blacks and they had to be very careful on whether or not they stereotyped the entire race.
Langston Hughes approached civil rights with an attitude for change and equality. His poem “Democracy,” is all about wanting equality for all people and wanting it now. This stanza shows very well what most of his writings were like and the outlook he took on his freedom.
“I tire so of hearing people say,
Let things take their course
Tomorrow is another day.
I do not need my freedom when I’m dead.
I cannot live on tomorrow’s bread.”
Hughes got his point across that freedom and equality was needed today instead of tomorrow or the next day. He got that point across in most of his poems including, “Refugee in America,” “Visitors to the Black Belt,” “I, Too,” and “Dream Variations.” Also in those poems he voiced his displeasure with the oppression happening inside his culture and made white audiences take a second look on what they were doing and how they were actually treating blacks.
From the other point of view, we have Zora Neale Hurston who also wrote about freedom and equality, but took a more positive outlook. In her writing, “How It Feels to Be Colored Me,” she focuses on her childhood and when she first noticed that she was a little colored girl instead of Zora. However she says, “But I am not tragically colored. …I do not mind it at all.” Hurston looks at equality like it is a great thing to have and that everyone should be equal, but at this point it’s not that way and instead of moping around waiting for something to change or protesting against the unfair ways, why don’t African Americans celebrate for what they do have?
Zora focused on the opportunities that have been given to her and in her writing states, “No one on earth ever had a greater chance for glory.” She thinks that she is blessed to have the opportunities she has and seizes them. “It is thrilling to think—to know that for any act of mine, I shall get twice as much praise or twice as much blame.” Taking her opportunities almost as challenges helped her to stay on her positive path. Also she states, “The position of my white neighbor is much more difficult.” I think that Zora almost made the African Americans looked like they were being treated fine instead of being oppressed in the fact that she wanted to make the most of every situation.
Their different views on how civil rights should be written about made them not get along very well, but I think both views contributed to how civil rights was looked at by whites and blacks. Both Hurston and Hughes ultimately wanted equal rights for everyone, however Hurston focused on the positives and seizing her opportunities while she patiently waited for whites to see what they were doing wrong. Hughes wanted change to come right away and could not wait a second longer for equality for all people.
Langston Hughes approached civil rights with an attitude for change and equality. His poem “Democracy,” is all about wanting equality for all people and wanting it now. This stanza shows very well what most of his writings were like and the outlook he took on his freedom.
“I tire so of hearing people say,
Let things take their course
Tomorrow is another day.
I do not need my freedom when I’m dead.
I cannot live on tomorrow’s bread.”
Hughes got his point across that freedom and equality was needed today instead of tomorrow or the next day. He got that point across in most of his poems including, “Refugee in America,” “Visitors to the Black Belt,” “I, Too,” and “Dream Variations.” Also in those poems he voiced his displeasure with the oppression happening inside his culture and made white audiences take a second look on what they were doing and how they were actually treating blacks.
From the other point of view, we have Zora Neale Hurston who also wrote about freedom and equality, but took a more positive outlook. In her writing, “How It Feels to Be Colored Me,” she focuses on her childhood and when she first noticed that she was a little colored girl instead of Zora. However she says, “But I am not tragically colored. …I do not mind it at all.” Hurston looks at equality like it is a great thing to have and that everyone should be equal, but at this point it’s not that way and instead of moping around waiting for something to change or protesting against the unfair ways, why don’t African Americans celebrate for what they do have?
Zora focused on the opportunities that have been given to her and in her writing states, “No one on earth ever had a greater chance for glory.” She thinks that she is blessed to have the opportunities she has and seizes them. “It is thrilling to think—to know that for any act of mine, I shall get twice as much praise or twice as much blame.” Taking her opportunities almost as challenges helped her to stay on her positive path. Also she states, “The position of my white neighbor is much more difficult.” I think that Zora almost made the African Americans looked like they were being treated fine instead of being oppressed in the fact that she wanted to make the most of every situation.
Their different views on how civil rights should be written about made them not get along very well, but I think both views contributed to how civil rights was looked at by whites and blacks. Both Hurston and Hughes ultimately wanted equal rights for everyone, however Hurston focused on the positives and seizing her opportunities while she patiently waited for whites to see what they were doing wrong. Hughes wanted change to come right away and could not wait a second longer for equality for all people.