Joplin was questioned where its heart was on Feb. 27.

During the 12th annual Langston Hughes Celebration, guest speaker Dr. Akiba Harper, dean of undergraduate studies at Spelman College in Atlanta, said if Joplin is the birthplace for Hughes then it should be the home of Hughes scholarship.

“The annual celebrations you have could easily grow into a magnet for some of the thousands, or maybe even millions of people in the world who cherish the work and the legacy of Langston Hughes,” Harper said during her speech.

“It becomes a question if Joplin wants to become the home of Langston Hughes, not just his birthplace. And if home is where the heart is. I’ll just say, ‘Joplin where’s your heart?'”

Harper said other cities that had famous authors born there have become the heart of their scholarship, even though some of the cities are smaller than Joplin. She said Eatonville, Fla., which is smaller than Joplin, started a celebration for Zora Neale Hurston similar to the Hughes celebration.

Harper said the Hurston celebration has grown in size and stature.

“Eatonville was tiny, now thousands of people are coming to these Zora Neale Hurston celebrations every year,” she said.

“They’re filling up the hotels, they’re bringing all kinds of dollars with them. Great celebrities, like Ruby Dee and Ozzie Davis come.”

Herbert Brown, sophomore special education major, said it’s good to ask where Joplin’s heart is, because it might bring more people to the celebration next year.

“I think it will catch on,” Brown said. “The message she gave tonight on if Joplin has a heart, then they should make this Langston Hughes’ heart.”

Brown sang a couple of songs, as well as reciting some of his own poetry.

He sang “If I Can Help Somebody” and “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” as well as lead the audience in “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing.”

Brown said he became involved in performing after he volunteered for the Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebrations.

“I was singing to some students one day in the hall and Doris Walters heard me singing,” Brown said.

“And Dr. Rogers heard me sing. He said ‘Would you like to sing in the Langston Hughes program?'”

During the program children from the United Hebrew Congregation, Unity Baptist Church and the Kids Kufara Marimba class performed selections from Hughes’ The Dream Keeper. At the end of the celebration five copies of Coming Home: From the Life of Langston Hughes were given away to children under 12.

Audience members enjoyed the celebration.

Stephanie Lloyd, Missouri Southern alumna, said she enjoyed all aspects of the celebration.

“I thought it was great that kids from the community were involved,” Lloyd said. “For Joplin to have a big-time speaker, you know a nationally renowned person, that’s so awesome to have that in Joplin.”

Ruthie Cox, president of the NAACP’s Joplin chapter, said she enjoyed Harper’s speech the most.

“I think she enlightened us, on how he lived in many, many different places,” Cox said. “It was very enlightening.”

Harper said Hughes would have enjoyed the celebration.

“He would have sat in the audience and laughed,” she said.

“He would have loved it and then written all of his friends a postcard with his characteristic green ink and would have told them how wonderful it was.”