Archive Spotlight: "A Voice of Black America"

BY JESSICA COLLOCA, APOLLON EDITOR FALL 2020

Published in our eighth issue, Rachael Malstead’s, “A Voice of Black America,” dives into Harlem Reinassance leader, Langston Hughes’ The Ways of White Folks to discuss the inherently racist ideologies that inhabit white America. Malstead outlines five of Hughes’ short stories that intertwine race, class, and sexuality. These stories perfectly encompass Hughes’ goals to depict the racial injustices in this country through the lens of the oppressed; he switches his perspective with each short story, further proving that racial prejudice triumphs gender, class, and age.

   Hughes created the characters, Jessie, Miss Briggs, Roy, Arnold, and Jack to give black people a voice during the Harlem Renaissance. Each of their stories gives readers an insight into the cultural nuances of oppressed communities and exposes white folks for the racist ideologies that seem to have not only thrived during Hughes’ lifetime but still persist today. Malstead explicitly states, “Hughes collection can be read as material that fuels and necessitates movements like Black Lives Matter. Racial injustice rears its ugly head on a day to day basis, often making headlines, continuing to affect the lives of black people on a profound level.” Black voices are still not being heard, and minority communities all over America are calling for action, calling for an end to the systemic racism that is ingrained in our society. Hughes’ stories are too similar to those of the black men, women, and children of today who are protesting for their lives in the streets. If you are looking for a powerful, emotionally compelling, article to dive into on a rainy afternoon, Malstead’s, “A Voice of Black America” is for you.