Why is the poem “Harlem” significant?

Langston Hughes’s poem “Harlem” (1951) is significant to the African American community because of its allusions to Black history, in particular the struggles of the civil rights movement, African American popular music, the Great Migration, and racial conflict in Harlem, New York City. Also known as “A Dream Deferred” (because of its first line: “What happens to a dream deferred?”), the poem considers the potential consequences of white society’s withholding of equal opportunity from African Americans. The poem’s skillful use of rhyme, simile, and alliteration, combined with its theme, make it an important work of American literature.