Article Review: The Negro Artist and Racial Mountain

This article review analyzes Langston Hughes's essay, "The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain," focusing on racial discrimination and its impact on African American artists. The review highlights the struggles faced by a young Negro poet and the broader societal issues of racial disparity in America. It examines how conservative attitudes and biases hindered artistic expression, yet talent ultimately triumphed, leading to innovations in literature and music, including the birth of Jazz. The review details the poet's family background, the juxtaposition of black and white cultures, and the emergence of protest music. The essay's claims are explored, emphasizing the inspiring story of overcoming adversity and the narrow-mindedness of American society. The review concludes by praising the depiction of the struggles and the emergence of Jazz and other art forms.

Running Head: ARTICLE REVIEW
ARTICLE REVIEW
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

ARTICLE REVIEW
This article throws lights on the life and struggles of an young Negro poet. Hence this
article can be considered as the real life story of a pet, who had to face a lot of discrimination in
terms of race in every sphere of his life. Through this real story the issues related to the racial
disparity in America are highlighted. Thus, the main points in this article are concerned about the
fact, how the conservatism related to racial discrimination, created obstacles in the blooming of
young poets but finally defeated by talent.
The thesis statement for this review focuses on the argument that the agony and
aggression mingled with the talent of people from different race and religion fostered innovation
in the fields of literature and music leading to the birth of Jazz1.
This article claims that, the conservative attitude, the biased nature of American society
to the white American, the acute poverty that surrounded dark American got defeated. They got
the essence of their creativity from their pain and kept on innovation, in the fields of music an
literature. The section which immediately follows the introduction part of this article talks about
the family background of this young poet. This section portrayed the distresses of a Negro
middle class family. Further this article looks at the racial as well as religious discrimination
from a broader perspective.
For example, the contents of the next section provided the evidences of disparities related
to race, from the perspective of the conservative society in America, that support the
juxtaposition of two completely different types of racial culture2. This section highlights how
1 Hughes, Langston. "The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain.” 1926." Gates and McKay (1773): 1311-1314.
2 Sarath, Ed. Black Music Matters: Jazz and the Transformation of Music Studies. Rowman & Littlefield, 2018.

ARTICLE REVIEW
black culture signified poverty and white culture was considered the symbol of aristocracy. The
description of the struggle of the Negar the hatred faced by them, are depicted vividly in this
article. Next this article talked about the overall battle of Negars for the recognition of their
talents, for the establishment of their identity apart from the identity of the dark color of their
skins, imposed by the cruel and conservative society3. Further this article focused on the
emergence of different black artists, the emergence of artists from different race and religion and
the birth of protest music. Finally this article focused on the birth of Jazz4.
From an analysis of the claims made in the article, the implication of the claims can be
found. The implication of those claims reflects in the emergence of different kinds of protest
music, poems, other creative literature and creation depicting the agony of the discriminated
people5.
Hence, in the conclusion, it can be said that, the whole article tells the inspiring stories of
racial discrimination and the way such disparity is overpowered by talent and creativity
possessed by the deceived Negars.
Finally, as a review of the article, it can be said that, this article reflected the narrow
thinking of the American society, towards the dark Americans or Afro-Americans, which is
supported and fostered by the elite class of America. Thus this article threw lights on the
3 Hughes, Langston. "The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain.” 1926." Gates and McKay (1773): 1311-1314.
4 Cooper, John Michael. "People of color Who Write Classical Music: Recovering “Lost” Music by Black
Composers as Resistance and Revolution." Black History Bulletin 82.1 (2019): 20-27.
5 Shukla, Sandhya. "" It's That Spanish Blood": Langston Hughes Imagines Race in Harlem and the World."
American Quarterly 70.4 (2018): 755-775.

ARTICLE REVIEW
development of two distinct culture and the hatred of white culture to the dark or black culture.
The unacceptance of the racial and religious diversity, which created obstacles in the blooming
of young talents from different race like Afro-American and religion. The elaboration of the
fights of Negars are vivid, and the depiction of their successful innovations like Jazz, Andalusian
popular songs, are inspiring.
References
Hughes, Langston. "The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain.” 1926." Gates and
McKay (1773): 1311-1314.

ARTICLE REVIEW
Bibliography
Cooper, John Michael. "People of color Who Write Classical Music: Recovering “Lost” Music
by Black Composers as Resistance and Revolution." Black History Bulletin 82.1 (2019): 20-27.
Sarath, Ed. Black Music Matters: Jazz and the Transformation of Music Studies. Rowman &
Littlefield, 2018.
Shukla, Sandhya. "" It's That Spanish Blood": Langston Hughes Imagines Race in Harlem and
the World." American Quarterly 70.4 (2018): 755-775.