Episode 399: Langston Hughes, Democracy, and the Meaning of My America

In this episode of Diverse Voices Book Review, host Hopeton Hay welcomes back Randal Maurice Jelks for a powerful conversation about My America: Langston Hughes on Democracy. Their discussion explores Hughes not only as a beloved poet of the Harlem Renaissance, but also as a deeply political writer whose essays, speeches, travels, and commitments to working-class struggle still speak urgently to questions of race, democracy, justice, and belonging today. Jelks reflects on Hughes’s global vision, his roots in Black radical traditions, his defense of the Scottsboro Boys, and his enduring insistence that America must be claimed and challenged by all of its people. Dr. Randall Maurice Jelks is a professor, documentary producer, and award-winning author whose work examines African American history, religion, politics, and culture. His writing has appeared in publications including the Boston Review and the Los Angeles Review of Books, as well as in journals, newspapers, blogs, and other periodicals. He is also co-editor of the academic journal American Studies. Follow Randal Maurice Jelks on Social Media: Facebook - @RMJofNOLA Instagram - @randalmauricejelks_books Follow Diverse Voices Book Review on Social Media: Facebook - @diversevoicesbookreview Instagram - @diverse_voices_book_review Bluesky - @diversevoicesbooks.bsky.social