04/02/2026
Langston Hughes papers, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library. October 11, 1958, Langston Hughes would visit Joplin, Missouri the place of his birth on February 1, 1901, at 1046 S. Joplin Avenue.
University of Missouri Professor Max Baird wrote to Langston Hughes that he and his brother Ralph Baird, a lawyer in Joplin, Missouri, had research on where Langston was born and the discovery of where Langston's older brother was buried in Joplin's Fairview Cemetery.
Even though they never discovered the birthplace site, Langston in letters to Max and Ralph Baird said, "I am lucky to have known both of you before visiting my hometown for the first time since birth. I now have a warm spot in my heart for Joplin and will never forget the friendly reception given me."
In a letter to Langston on October 13, Ralph Baird detailed the names of everyone they visited with, including Minnie Hackney, director of the Negro Service Center of Joplin at 110 S. Main Street.
Minnie Hackney Community Service Center of Joplin, Joplin Arts District, The Black Archives of Mid-America, Inc. - Kansas City, Carver Birthplace Association (CBA), Joplin Public Library, The Joplin Globe, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, New York Public Library, Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture, Langston Hughes Community Library & Cultural Center
