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(Washington, DC) – Mayor Adrian M. Fenty joined by District Department of  Transportation (DDOT) Director Gabe Klein, Councilman Jim Graham and the Ward 1 community today dedicated the 1300 block of V Street in Northwest DC to renowned African American poet, Langston Hughes. The “Langston Hughes Way Designation Act of 2008” officially recognizes Hughes’s contributions and honors his work.

“I am humbled to join the Ward 1 community to dedicate this block to the great Langston Hughes, and to celebrate his contributions to American culture and the District of Columbia,” said Mayor Fenty. “It is fitting that we commit a portion of our city to the legacy of Langston Hughes here in the Historic U Street district.”

The U Street Historic neighborhood was a birthplace of the Black Renaissance in the 1920-1930's, and Hughes was one of its greatest visionaries. Langston Hughes was an American poet and writer who called DC home in the 1920s.

Hughes was the inspiration behind “Busboys & Poets,” a popular local restaurant at the corner of V and 14th Streets, which in turn has been an inspiration for this street dedication. The name marries Hughes’s service as a busboy at the Wardman Park Hotel in the 1920s to his influence on African American culture through his poetry, short stories and other published works.

Mayor Fenty unveiled new street signage at 14th and V Street NW. The dedication of the street will be capped off with a weekend of planned events celebrating the arts including Langston Hughes’ poetry, blues, jazz, gospel music, including the Harlem Renaissance Festival Celebration at the historic Lincoln Theater and the Harrison Recreation Center’s U Street Festival.

For additional information on the Greater U Street Historic District or the weekend festivities visit www.greaterustreet.org.