langston's legacy

Last night we realized that our two poets had a lot in common: Hughes and Ginsberg were both gay, both affiliated with the Communist movement, and both attended Columbia University. Unfortunately, though, I haven't been able to find as many exciting Web resources about Langston Hughes as about Ginsberg.

We did learn from Dan that Hughes' great-grandfather (and namesake) John Mercer Langston was the first black man elected to public office in the United States (and that was even before the Civil War). That certainly gave young Langston Hughes a big legacy to live up to. That got me thinking about how comparatively few African-Americans have been elected to major public office, even today. Is that changing? This year, Deval Patrick was elected governor of Massachusetts, but it's hard to believe that he is only the second black governor in American history. Barack Obama is only the third black U.S. Senator elected since the end of Reconstruction. Some people think he may end up as the Democratic candidate for President in 2008. Will that change things?

Has anyone else found any good Langston Hughes resources? If so, send us the links!