Book Tour: Finding Langston
Finding Langston, is the first book in the acclaimed historical fiction trilogy by Lesa Cline-Ransome. A Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book and winner of the Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction, Finding Langston tells the story of eleven-year-old Langston’s move from Alabama to Chicago in 1946.
Lit League’s Finding Langston Book Tour explores historical figures and events that shape Langston’s world. There are no plot-specific spoilers below, so peruse the tour before, during, or after you read Finding Langston.
The Great Migration
In Finding Langston, Langston and his father relocate from rural Alabama to urban Chicago. This move was a part of what is called The Great Migration. Between 1910 and 1970, approximately 6 million African Americans left the American South to relocate in Northern, Midwestern, and Western states.
Chicago's Bronzeville
The neighborhood of Bronzeville is a center for African-American life and culture in Chicago. During the first peak of the Great Migration, between 1910 and 1920, thousands of black Americans escaped the oppressive South and moved to Chicago in search of industrial jobs. Bronzeville became one of the nation’s most significant concentrations of African-American businesses, and culture.
The Harlem Renaissance
The first wave of the Great Migration resulted in a population boom in New York City. Many African Americans moved to the neighborhood of Harlem. From the late 1910s to the late 1930s, Harlem was bursting with exciting and influential poets, artists, activists, musicians, writers, and thinkers. The creative works produced during this era known as the Harlem Renaissance are some of the most important ones produced during the 20th century.
Cab Calloway
In the book, Langston talks about Cab Calloway’s show playing at Regal Theater. Cab Calloway was an American jazz singer, dancer, bandleader, and actor. Click the button below to enjoy the musical talents of Cab Calloway and his band, as well as the tap dancing genius of the Nicholas Brothers in the 1943 film, Stormy Weather.
Langston Hughes
Langston Hughes was one of the most influential writers of the 20th Century. Born James Mercer Langston Hughes in Joplin, Missouri, Hughes was a poet, novelist, playwright, social activist, and columnist. A leader of the Harlem Renaissance, his poetry is said to capture the spirit of the era.
Gwendolyn Brooks
Another writer Langston reads is Gwendolyn Brooks, a great American poet who received numerous honors for her work, including the Pulitzer Prize for poetry. She was also named United States Poet Laureate.
Joe Louis
In the book, Langston mentions Joe Louis, often known as the Brown Bomber. In addition to being a champion boxer, Joe Louis served as an important symbol for many during the fight against legalized segregation and ongoing racism. You can learn more about Joe Louis, his life and his legacy, through the biographical picture book, A Nation’s Hope.
Double Dutch
Kids have been enjoying some form of jump rope since1600 A.D. when the Egyptians used vines for jumping. Kids at Langston’s school enjoy double dutch, a game that involves two long jump ropes swung in opposite directions so that they cross rhythmically.