ADVENTURES AS A SOCIAL POET---2

LOS ANGELES: Political Racketeers

CARMEL:

San Francisco Dock Workers Strike 1934 (?)

Mexican Cotton Pickers

Lincoln Steffens

UNION

CONTEMPT OF COURT

Newspaper attacks

The MOB

PASADENA

Amy Semple McPherson & GOODBYE, CHRIST

KU KLUX KLAN

DETROIT

Gerald L. K. Smith & The Mothers of America

BRIDGEPORT

F.B.I.

TODAY'S WORLD:

"Langston Hughes......a Negro Communist Poet......

is doing his best to help break down religion
and morality in this country. Apparently, his
assignment is to break down the resistance to
Communism among the better elements of the Negro
people and thus pave the way for the seeds of
atheism and Communism."......"View with suspicion
and distrust any opinions on world affairs or
U.S. politics by such people as Frank Sinatra,
Edward G. Robinson, Negro Paul Robeson, Orson
Welles, Groucho Marx, Lena Horne, and Negro
Canada Lee."

TRENTON & ST. JOE:

Letters

LET AMERICA BE AMERICA AGAIN

CHRIST IN ALABAMA

Christ is a nigger,
Beaten and black.
O, bear your back!
Mary is his Mother.
Mammy of the South,
Silence your mouth!
God is his Father.
White master above,
Grant us your love!
Most holy bastard
Of the bleeding mouth,
Nigger Christ
On the cross of the South!

CONTEMPO,
U.N.C. at
Chapel Hill.

SEMINAR SPEECH

The word, social, in this case means just the opposite of social in a society sense. Social, as used tonight, means the attempt to lift the bad part of society up to the level of the good part of society. Up from the part of society who lives poorly and badly up to the level of those who live well. I suppose that my being a social poet comes naturally out of my background. I do not see how Negro writers could hardly help being social one born in poverty could

not in Missouri. Our
poem. We moved most of
Kansas than any place
resided when I was a child
live for the house which my
er of no money to pay the
e away. So I grew up
ved to one country because
that color was a handicap.
our typical high schools
ody was composed of several
, Hungarian, Jewish, and
h problems very much like
ame early in life
ut poverty. One of my
as read) Workers in the
, wages were not high, and
to Cleveland which created
nette in Chicago and so
ing of my poetic career.

wrote my first published
red in the Crisis in 1921
lications. (Here poem was
e time, a few years later,
spirituals, and work
social poems, many of them
Luck." That was an attempt
of the blues. A few years
Atlantic City. So I went
I have read to you tonight.
a note which was passed to
ntil I had finished and sat
ems in this pulpit" and was
ce with such censorship.
op and put it in my pocket.

great depression and I was
d in my work and sent me a
lished. That patron I
different social position
understood what I wanted

Bolmecke
Library
JWJ
MSS
Hughes

74

6

beginning to get tired and said, "If you have finished I am going back to the hotel." I got up and bowed to everyone around. We must go with you to examine your baggage. They said and they all came with me to the hotel. During the afternoon questioning they pursued a line of attack like this, "Why do you say in your speech that Japan should not dominant China and take it over"? I said I did not believe that the world should be with all of the people collaborating together but not killing the Chinese and added more about the conditions of the world. They went through my baggage and returned everyone of the 200 300 letters which I took around with me and attempted to answer when I got time. They took a fan saying "I knew you had something with a list of names." They said, "You leave by the first boat. We consider you a dangerous character, and do not talk with any Japanese while you are around."

A group of newspaper reporters came in and I told them that the police had told me not to talk with any Japanese. So I talked with the American and English. They said it was just as well you did not come to the lunch anyway for all of the writers were arrested and put in jail. So some of the leading writers in Japan were put in prison for having luncheon for me. It was one way of the government showing me that people outside of Japan were not to be received and entertained in Japan. In the hotel it was very amusing because every time I stepped outside of my door, one of the men would ask me where I was going. One time I said I was going to the theater. They said they were going. I said okay just buy your own tickets. They were very nice and wanted to buy my dinner, but I would not accept any of their cordialities. They are very nice and most respective. On the boat I was told not to come out of my room until we were outside of Japanese waters. They stopped outside and a police launch came out. They were looking for stoways. So we sailed to Honolulu.

This is a long story. When I got back home I wrote a letter to the State Department telling about my experience in Japan. They said you evidently must have gone against some of the rules of Japan. So I went to Los Angeles talking about the Soviet Union. I spoke at a memorial of a young fellow and they asked me not to speak there any more because I was talking about Communism. They got permission to have the memorial at the Y.M.C.A. although he was a member there. Another hall was also denied them. The most active person in preventing freedom of speech was a very respectful business man (colored) who owned a great many prostitute houses and gambling houses. As far as I know he is still running these places in Los Angeles. I found out later that behind this sort of thing are many persons like that.

I want to tell you quickly one other amusing experience and then I will close. I was invited to speak in Pasadena at a Big Club Hotel. A number of writers were on the program. I was supposed to read just two poems. This club was held once per month. On my arrival I saw a great many people gathered outside which I thought was strange. In the lobby I met the chairman who said that there are people picketing the hotel because you are speaking here. The manager wants us to either cancel the luncheon or leave. The person leading the demonstration was Amy McPherson. I said, "I will certainly withdraw rather than inconvenience you." About that time the hotel manager said you will have to cancel the luncheon and get him out of here. I said, "I will go just as soon as I can get a car." Since I have dismissed my car until 2 o'clock, just get someone to drive me to the station." A nice gentleman