hughes grew up as a poor boy from missouri, the descendant of african people who had been taken to america as slaves. at that time, the term used for african-americans was "negro" which means a person with black skin. most "negroes" did not remember or think about their link with the people of africa, even though it was a big influence on their culture and, in particular, their music. hughes was unusual for his time, because he went back to west africa to understand more about his own culture. through his poetry, plays, and stories, hughes helped other black americans to see themselves as part of a much bigger group of people, so that now the term "african-american" is used with pride.