The issues raised by Hughes in his poems.

Langston Hughes (1902-1967) was the first black writer in America to earn his living from writing. Born in Joplin, Missouri. He was brought up with his separated parents. He attended Columbia University from 1921-1922 but left, because he was illtreated by his white peers. Hughes experience himself of racial discrimination from the white society. The poem "Dinner Guest:Me" is about Langston being invited to a fancy restaurant by a white person and the two of them are discussing race. It clearly shows when he says 'Asked the usual questions' and how the white person is embarrassed to be white. A black person in a fancy restaurant was a big deal back in those days. They are not only have to wait for the service in the restaurant, but their discussion is about the answer to race relations and in the end of the poem he says; the answer to the problem is to wait.   In the poem "Cross",Hughes touched on the psychological hardships of being a mixture of black and white descent. He didn't deny the anger that a person would feel toward his parents for creating a mixed child.  The issues facing not only African Americans but mixed Americans during the 1900s were chronic and painful.  To Hughes being mixed added on another challenge and hurdle that one had to overcome in the already prejudiced America.
As for the poem"Harlem"  I noticed that a dream is something wonderful in the beginning, but then as time passes by and it is forgot about it becomes something somewhat of a burden. The poem describes the befores and afters of a dream deferred. During the time period of the Harlem Renaissance, blacks were not treated as fairly as whites. This is why Harlem became the birthplace of the Civil Rights Movement. The people were tired of being put down, so they decided to stand up for their rights. African Americans were treated unfairly. African Americans were treated the opposite of whites. They were segregated and discriminated because of the color of their skin. In Langston Hughes’ poem, he describes this unfair treatment as " a festering sore."(4) This means that while the whites were being treated fairly, the African Americans were being put down, and were not able to voice their opinions or even stand up for themselves.