Langston Hughes was a leading figure of the Harlem Renaissance, a cultural explosion of African American art and literature in the 1920s. Hughes was a pioneer of 'jazz poetry,' a style that mimicked the rhythmic and improvisational feel of jazz music. Unlike many of his contemporaries who sought to mimic European literary traditions, Hughes wrote about the real-life experiences of working-class Black Americans, using their dialect and celebrating their resilience. His first published poem, 'The Negro Speaks of Rivers,' written when he was just 17, became an instant classic. Throughout his career, he remained committed to the idea that Black artists should be free to express their individual selves without fear or shame, famously stating, 'We build our temples for tomorrow, strong as we know how.'