Langston Hughes, an enduring icon of the Harlem Renaissance, is best-known for his written work, which wedded his fierce dedication to social justice with his belief in the transformative power of the word. But he was a music lover, too, and some of the works he was most proud of were collaborations with composers and musicians. 

WNYC celebrates Black History month with special programming throughout the month of February. This year we have two programs that mark the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation from a live series taking place in WNYC’s Jerome L. Greene Performance Space.

Co-moderated by award-winning writer Carl Hancock Rux and Robin Morris, From Emancipation to the Great Migration takes a look at the historic proclamation within the unsettled, turbulent contexts of the Civil War, Reconstruction, the Jim Crow Era and the Great Migration.  The State of the Black Economy takes a deep dive into the history of generational poverty and wealth and the current state of the economy for African Americans. Joined by Dr. Cornel West, and CNN financial contributor Ryan Mack, award winning author and radio host, Farai Chideya leads the conversation. And WQXR’s Terrance McKnight hosts I, Too, Sing America: Music in the Life of Langston Hughes. As he did with his poetry, Langston Hughes used music to denounce war, combat segregation and restore human dignity in the face of Jim Crow. This program explores the songs, cantatas, musicals and librettos that flowed from Hughes’ pen.

The New York Public Radio Archives has pulled together some of the department's leading preservation work concerning African-American history.  Listen to previously unreleased interviews with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and a rare 1965 interview with Malcolm X, plus much more. Explore the Archives here.