BMA: Black Media Archive

Here, in his own words, Langston Hughes shares his poems: "The Negro Speaks of Rivers", "Kid Sleepy", and "Southern Mammy Songs". Langston Hughes (1902-1967) ranks as one of the greatest American poets of the twentieth century. A landmark figure in the Harlem Renaissance, his work profoundly captures and celebrates the trials and triumphs of his exquisitely drawn characters. In addition to his poetry, he was also the author of the novels Now Without Laughter and Something in Common, the play Mulatto, and two volumes of autobiography.

This is a PDF file of a broadside/flyer/ad for the "New Orleans Minstrels" Preliminary Pictorial (1876), a minstrel/vaudeville show representative of those from the late 1800s and early 1900s.

This is a PDF file of a broadside/flyer/ad for the "New Orleans Minstrels" Preliminary Pictorial (1876), a minstrel/vaudeville show representative of those from the late 1800s and early 1900s.

In the cartoon "Sunday Go To Meetin' Time" (1936) Nicodemus' woman tries to show him the virtues of righteousness, and drags him away from his dice game on Sunday to the church, but he sneaks away and is soon out stealing chickens again. A blow on the head from a farmyard fence helps him see the error of his ways.

In the cartoon "Sunday Go To Meetin' Time" (1936) Nicodemus' woman tries to show him the virtues of righteousness, and drags him away from his dice game on Sunday to the church, but he sneaks away and is soon out stealing chickens again. A blow on the head from a farmyard fence helps him see the error of his ways.

Movie: The conclusion of "The Jackie Robinson Story" (1950), a biographical film in which Jackie Robinson plays himself, as you follow his life from childhood through his 1949 season with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Ruby Dee is beautiful as Robinson's loving wife, and the film contains great footage of what Jackie could do on the baseball diamond. A great story about the social issues and racial prejudices that Robinson faced while integrating professional baseball.

Movie: The conclusion of "The Jackie Robinson Story" (1950), a biographical film in which Jackie Robinson plays himself, as you follow his life from childhood through his 1949 season with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Ruby Dee is beautiful as Robinson's loving wife, and the film contains great footage of what Jackie could do on the baseball diamond. A great story about the social issues and racial prejudices that Robinson faced while integrating professional baseball.

Movie: "The Jackie Robinson Story" (1950) is a biographical film in which Jackie Robinson plays himself, as you follow his life from childhood through his 1949 season with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Ruby Dee is beautiful as Robinson's loving wife, and the film contains great footage of what Jackie could do on the baseball diamond. A great story about the social issues and racial prejudices that Robinson faced while integrating professional baseball.

Movie: "The Jackie Robinson Story" (1950) is a biographical film in which Jackie Robinson plays himself, as you follow his life from childhood through his 1949 season with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Ruby Dee is beautiful as Robinson's loving wife, and the film contains great footage of what Jackie could do on the baseball diamond. A great story about the social issues and racial prejudices that Robinson faced while integrating professional baseball.

A speech given titled "Words from the Frontline" (1965) after Malcolm's separation from the Nation of Islam.

A speech given titled "Words from the Frontline" (1965) after Malcolm's separation from the Nation of Islam.

"Scrub Me Mama with a Boogie Beat" (1941) is a 1940 hit boogie-woogie song and best recognized as the centerpiece of this Walter Lantz Studio cartoon from 1941. A risqué, jazzy tune, the song describes a laundry woman from Harlem, New York whose technique is so unusual that people come from all around just to watch her scrub.

"Scrub Me Mama with a Boogie Beat" (1941) is a 1940 hit boogie-woogie song and best recognized as the centerpiece of this Walter Lantz Studio cartoon from 1941. A risqué, jazzy tune, the song describes a laundry woman from Harlem, New York whose technique is so unusual that people come from all around just to watch her scrub.

Movie: "Spirit of Youth" (1938) The dramatic conclusion of story of the rise of boxer Joe Thomas (starring Heavyweight Champion Joe Louis and a parallel of his own life).

Movie: "Spirit of Youth" (1938) The dramatic conclusion of story of the rise of boxer Joe Thomas (starring Heavyweight Champion Joe Louis and a parallel of his own life).