Langston Hughes 'I' Ve Known Rivers

Through Langston Hughes’ poem “I’ve Known Rivers”, Hughes reminds African Americans of their ancient history and heritage in a time of segregation and inequality. He empowers them by using strong imagery and provocative symbolism to remind African Americans of their strong roots. [INTRO TO EVIDENCE] “I looked upon the Nile and raised the pyramids above it” (Hughes). Hughes uses this image of raising the pyramids to reminds his African American community that their ancestors achieved great things that have lasted and endured for centuries. He does this because in a time of segregation and inequality, many African Americans were being treated as lesser and were forgetting their culture, trying to change themselves to be accepted. This poem helped