Beinecke fellow David Hendy conducted research in the Langston Hughes Papers in support of his documentary: Langston Hughes at the Third

In 1964 the BBC’s Third Programme broadcast a series about African-American life called ‘The Negro in America’. The series was co-produced by Langston Hughes. Under Hughes’ direction the series featured “sounds and voices of the Civil Rights struggle, of jazz music and black literature: sounds and voices that had rarely been heard in Britain.” Hendy’s documentary reveals that ‘The Negro in America’ was the product of an unlikely friendship between Hughes and his British co-producer, Geoffrey Bridson.

LISTEN to the documentary at BBC Radio 3: Langston Huges at the Third.

A detailed record of the collection consulted can be found online: Langston Hughes Papers JWJ MSS 26

An image guide can be found online: Langston Hughes Papers Image Guide

David Hendy is a media historian at the University of Sussex.