The untold story of how Langston Hughes mentored Nina Simone after first first meeting her in North Carolina when she was just sixteen years old. The poet eventually shaped (then Eunice Waymon) into 'The High Priestess of Soul' as they co-created the soundtrack to the civil rights movement. Through newly discovered letters and archival materials, Miller reveals how their collaboration bridged the Harlem Renaissance and Black Power era. Read more ...
PBS Documentary
Langston Hughes & MLK's Dream
Directed by W. Jason Miller, premiering June 2026 on PBS stations nationwide, the documentary film exploring Langston Hughes's influence on Martin Luther King Jr.'s 'I Have a Dream' speech.
W. Jason Miller is a Distinguished Professor and public scholar who acts as a cultural detective, unearthing the hidden connections that reshape American history. From discovering a lost recording of MLK’s first "I Have a Dream" speech to his latest revelation of the secret mentorship between Langston Hughes and Nina Simone, Miller bridges the gap between rigorous archival research and compelling public narrative.
As a contributor to CNN, NPR, and the Rachel Maddow Show, Dr. W. Jason Miller is a leading authority on the intersection of literature, music, and civil rights. As the director of an upcoming PBS documentary, and the author of four acclaimed books on Langston Hughes, he specializes in bringing "untold stories" from the archives into the national conversation.
