Written By Langston Hughes & adapted by D. Wambui Richardson

Director: D. Wambui Richardson

Black Nativity is an adaptation of the Nativity story by Langston Hughes, performed by an entirely black cast. Hughes was the author of the book, with the lyrics and music being derived from traditional Christmas carols, sung in gospel style, with a few songs created specifically for the show.

About Langston Hughes:

Langston Hughes published his first poem in 1921. He attended Columbia University but left after one year to travel. A leading light of the Harlem Renaissance, Hughes published his first book in 1926. He went on to write countless works of poetry, prose, and plays, as well as a popular column for the Chicago Defender.

James Mercer Langston Hughes was born on February 1, 1902, in Joplin, Missouri. His parents, James Hughes and Carrie Langston, separated soon after his birth, and his father moved to Mexico.

While Hughes’ mother moved around during his youth, Hughes was raised primarily by his maternal grandmother, Mary, until she died in his early teens. From that point, he went to live with his mother, and they moved to several cities before eventually settling in Cleveland, Ohio.

It was during this time that Hughes first began to write poetry, and one of his teachers introduced him to the poetry of Carl Sandburg and Walt Whitman, both of whom Hughes would later cite as primary influences.

Hughes was also a regular contributor to his school’s literary magazine and frequently submitted to other poetry magazines, although they would ultimately reject his work.

Learn more about Langston Hughes here!