The Negro Speaks of Rivers by Langston Hughes

Langston Hughes was eighteen when he wrote The Negro Speaks of Rivers., a poem that
expresses his pride for all that his ancestors have endured. He scribbled it onto the back of a
letter from his father as he was on a train, on his way to live with his father in Mexico. He spent
the majority of his childhood under the care of his mother and grandmother, who both played an
important role in his career path. To Hughes, A Negro Speaks of Rivers symbolized the
freedom of blacks, and recalled the history that his ancestors lived. He referred to significant
rivers, such as the Missisippi and the Nile, and tied in their importance to their past. He
demonstrates his pride for how far his entire race has come from Africa, to America when he
says Ive known rivers ancient as the world and older than the flow of human blood in human
veins. He went on to have this poem published a year later, and soon became one of the most
prominent influences as a poet, social activist, writer, and columnist. He made a significant
impact in Harlem, this poem being just one example. During a time that surrounded pride in the
capability of black people, Hughes started his career by acknowledging his pride in the history of
his ancestors.
River By Leon Bridges
Leon Bridges is a 21st century artist releasing music that sound like it came from the sixties.
The song River was realeased after the devistating Baltimore Uprising that resulted in multiple
fatalities as well as dozons of injuries. The video was put out t be a sign of hope for people of
color in reminding them not to lose their faith in a brighter and less segregated future. I chose to
mash the two up because they had similar trends in their visions of hope, as well as the theme
of rivers.