.Langston Hughes wrote the poem "Negro" in 1922. After emancipation, African Americans attempted to find a protected place to embrace music, liberal arts and the theater. African Americans found this in Harlem and used their artistic skills to push for racial equality. This poem aims to illustrate the presence of black people throughout history, highlight their global contributions, and illuminate their suffering. To begin with, in the first stanza he describes his identity. He calls himself a “negro” and uses similes to compare his complexion to the “dark night” and “the depths of his Africa” (908). The speaker suggests that he is proud to be African-American even though slaves go through hardships. The speaker wants people to know that he is African American by describing his identity and the origin of his skin color. Night is a positive comparison, it is part of nature and beautiful with the stars and the moon. Africa is another positive comparison: a beautiful desert place with lots of sun and beauty. He kisses his complexion and compares it to the beauty of nature to show how proud he is of his complexion. Second, in the second stanza he describes how African Americans were enslaved for an extended period of time. He uses an allusion to history. events to make the reader feel what the slaves experience. He says, “Caesar told me to keep his doorstep clean” to demonstrate the total length of neglect of African Americans (908). The speaker also mentions that "he brushed Washington's boots." This is another allusion; this time he refers to George Washington. It demonstrates that the presence of African Americans has existed for centuries and worked as slaves. Putting black...... middle of paper...... It shows the suffering of African Americans throughout history and their global role in enlightening others about it. Readers can feel the emotions of hatred, sadness, and cruelty caused by the pain of African Americans. Slaves did not deserve to be slaves and African Americans did not deserve to be mentally and physically abused. In conclusion, this poem illustrates the presence of black people in history, it emphasizes their global contributions and enlightens others about their problems. Slavery lasted for a long time and the sufferings of these people went down in history. African Americans created jazz music and built many buildings with their bare hands. These are just two examples of how African Americans have left a significant mark on history. However, they also experienced hardships and were victims of racism in their society..