Author Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich shares her thoughts on why preserving #LangstonsLegacy is important
Hughes' collaborations with other writers, artists, musicians, and composers have an infinite creative legacy that we cannot lose. His work was art, it was education, it was activism. I'm a native New Yorker who has struggled to stay in this city I love. Langston Hughes' work, his stories and reflections on Harlem, were a huge part of my childhood. I'm grateful to people like Renée who are willing to take risks and responsibility for preserving and building on that legacy, and am so heartened to see the support that has developed around the project -- many people, of all races, ages, and experiences, see the need for it, and are willing to do whatever bit they can, which is very much in the spirit of Harlem.
In a very real sense, it brings hope for preserving the legacy of all of New York City as an artistic hub. As the city becomes more unaffordable, segregated, and corporate, artists suffer. Our culture suffers. The idea that Hughes' home can be a place to welcome artists from all over, to support their work, to share his work with emerging and marginalized artists, to inspire the next generation, to simply provide space for appreciation of Black artists and the arts -- it's a beautiful thing, an actual dream come true!
When I was young, my parents had a poster with a Marcus Garvey quote across the bottom that went something like: "A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots." Sometimes the development in Harlem very literally seems to be a violent uprooting of culture, of lives, leaving little or nothing behind. Many of us take for granted the knowledge of Harlem's rich history, and have an increasingly vague sense of the "Harlem Renaissance", but if we don't support community institutions like the Schomburg Library, El Museo del Barrio, the Jazz museum, and, I hope, I, Too, Arts, we will be leaving our children without roots. We're in danger of destroying the creativity and innovation that made Harlem famous, of further marginalizing the very people that were integral to building Harlem into the legendary place it is today.
I'm a parent, and feel deeply that as Black children and Black lives are increasingly disrespected and devalued, it's vital for us to educate our children about the beauty and power of our past, and what it can mean for our future. I'm holding fast to the dream that we'll value Langston Hughes' legacy. If we have love and respect for our ancestors, and love, respect, and hope for our children's lives, we'll do this.
Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich is the author of Two Naomis and 8th Grade Superzero. She is member of The Brown Bookshelf, a web site dedicated to amplifying Black and Brown voices in children’s literature. She is also a member of We Need Diverse Books, a grassroots organization created to address the lack of diverse, non-majority narratives in children’s literature.
To learn more about I, Too, Arts Collective & the #LangstonsLegacy campaign, visit our campaign page.
