Langston Hughes Inside The House

Inside the house of Langston Hughes lays a place filled with opportunity, Inside the house is the perfect place for creativity to originate and ideas to grow into pieces of art. This is the idea of Renee Watson, founder of the I, Too Arts Collective that is leasing the house. The name of the arts collective originated through a poem of Hughes’ which helped her find the truth in the world, as well as help her understand her roots. Our name is inspired by one of Langston’s poems where he declares, “I, too, am America,” and talks about taking his place at the table. It is a statement that declares, “I, too, deserve a space, a voice, to be seen.”(Watson).Watson launched a non-profit organization that wants to build the creative arts in the underrepresented community, and to continuing the legacy of Langston Hughes.
Campaigning to lease Langston Hughes home in Harlem where he created and live for the last 20 years is part of this plan. 1500 people have helped with funding of project Langston Hughes' Harlem House will be the center of new creation for the new generation of artists and authors. It will offer poetry classes and creative writing for kids and adults. Guest artists will also share work and discuss with people in a workshop setting (Watson). When the project was in it’s early stages, and there wasn't as much donations needed, there was a bit of fear that the organization wouldn't be able to raise the one hundred and fifty thousand dollars needed to renovate and lease house. Harlem is a rapidly changing community, with new buildings and condos sprouting up everywhere. Homes are being torn out for modern construction (“Save”). The Hughes' house has been on heavy bids for a while now and the estimate is becoming the bidding war, as the old owner listed Hughes' house for 1 million dollars. it didn't sell, and now a perspective buyer, Renee Watson, has put a bid up for the house. Watson's goal for the house is to turn into a learning space for kids and preserve Hughes' house and legacy, and keep the house in Harlem. She set up a nonprofit to raise money and intends to turn the home into a cultural place honoring Hughes. As the months poured on, and time for donations came to an end, there was a skyrocket.Over 800 people in support of turning the former home of Hughes’ into a community center for creative arts. Support and money came rushing in after CNN Money highlighted the issue as the former writers home faced Gentrification.
A few days later, Renee Watson releases a statement saying that because of the outburst of support, the campaign was successful, and they will be able to move forward with the leasing or potential buying of the house (“Donate”). Through this act, it has been shown that people genuinely care about how the legacy of Langston Hughes is preserved and will do what is possible to help. Adding onto that, it wasn't only ordinary people who want to save the legacy of Langston Hughes, writers have spoken out about the authors’ impact on them and their writing as well as their support in the Arts Collective buying the house. Jason Reynolds, a young adult author one of many who would like to read in the House and doesn't want the house to go up for sale again. Jacqueline Woodson is also a adamant supporter of the leasing of the house, "Hughes is deeply influential and important not only to me, but many writers of color," says author Jacqueline Woodson, who is also involved in the initiative. Her book "Brown Girls Dreaming" won the National Book
Award. It opens with a Hughes poem.