Her mixed racial ancestry was not itself unusual in the black middle class. But many of these individuals, such as Langston Hughes, had more distant European ancestors. He and others formed an elite of mixed race or people of color, some of whom had ancestors who had been free people of color well before the American Civil War. This had given many families an advantage in establishing themselves and gaining educations in the North. In the 1920s, most African Americans in Harlem were exploring and emphasizing their black heritage.
her mixed racial ancestry was not itself unusual in the black middle class but many of these individuals such as langston hughes had more distant european ancestors he and others formed an elite of mixed race or people of color some of whom had ancestors who had been free people of color well before the american civil war this had given many families an advantage in establishing themselves and gaining educations in the north in the 1920s most african americans in harlem were exploring and emphasizing their black heritage