The Minnesota Daily reports on Langston Hughes’s upcoming lecture and poetry reading at Northrup Auditorium. The poet addressed issues of race, class solidarity, Italy’s war with Ethiopia, and his visit to the Soviet Union. However, the main purpose of Hughes’s lecture was to foster the literary efforts of Black writers like himself, and to support rights for African Americans.

Republican operative Ray Chase used this convocation address broadcast widely on radio to attack the University of Minnesota and Farmer-Labor candidate Elmer Benson in the 1938 election for governor. Chase received information from Edward Nicholson about the payment Hughes received.