Themes and message

Prejudice and discrimination

In “One Friday Morning”, Langston Hughes explores the themes of prejudice and discrimination suffered by African Americans in the US. In particular, the story focuses on the racial discrimination that still existed in the more progressive Northern states. Details such as Nancy Lee’s skin color not being mentioned (p. 2, ll. 5-6) and her being treated so well that she “forgot he was colored herself” (p. 2, l. 8) indicate that racial prejudice was less common in the North.

An aspect of discrimination and prejudice in the North is hinted at as the story mentions that Nancy Lee’s parents live in a “modest Negro neighborhood” (p. 5, l. 26) and are not well-off financially. These details suggest that, although college-educated, Nancy Lee’s parents struggled financially and were probably paid less than their white counterparts and lived in a segregated neighborhood even though racial segregation was not imposed by law in the North at the time when the story takes place. 

As Nancy Lee’s experience reveals, prejudice and discrimination also affected African Americans’ access to education and, implicitly, to a better life. Upon finding out that she is African American, the committee chan...