This essay by Langston Hughes explains, in great detail, the atmosphere of black society and culture at that time and provided an important rallying cry for the beginning of what became known as the Harlem Renaissance. Hughes was one of the most important figures in the Harlem Renaissance, and while he was known mostly for his poetry, he was also an intellectual who wrote essays even from a pretty early age. When he wrote this essay, he was 25 years old.
Note: I censored the use of a certain N-word that is in the original text because I didn't want any possibility of KZfaq to taking down this video. So I replaced it with "Negro," which I think is an acceptable substitute since it was very commonly used at that time by black intellectuals to describe their own race.