“Cora Unashamed” – Cora Against the Cult of Domesticity

“Cora Unashamed,” a short story in The Ways of White Folks by Langston Hughes, is a story about the White Studevant family and the Black Jenkins family.  Cora Jenkins is a housekeeper (to put it politely) in the Studevant’s household and the story discusses the way that she moves through life as a Black woman in the rural Midwest.  Among many…

Intro to The Ways of White Folks

One of the books I really enjoyed in one of my Black Literature classes in college was The Ways of White Folks by Langston Hughes. First, Langston Hughes is a phenomenal writer and an amazing storyteller. Second, the book is a collection of beautifully written short stories that deal with racism and the various forms it takes.