Final answer:
Langston Hughes' poems, including "I, Too, Sing America" and "Theme for English B," explore racial segregation and inequality, relating directly to the issues in the Brown v. Board case. Hughes' present tense writing emphasizes the ongoing relevance of these themes, aligning with the case's fight for desegregation and racial equality.
Step-by-step explanation:
Langston Hughes' poetry resonates closely with themes of racial segregation and inequality, akin to the issues tackled in the Brown v. Board of Education case. The poems by Hughes, such as "I, Too, Sing America" and "Theme for English B," explore the lives and struggles of African Americans against the backdrop of a segregated society. These works illuminate the duality of the African American existence — a blend of resilience and the fight for equality — much like what was contested in the landmark case which aimed to desegregate schools.
By utilizing the present tense in "Theme for English B," Hughes brings an immediacy to the reader's experience, suggesting that the issues of race and identity he writes about aren't mere reflections of the past but ongoing concerns. In his works, Hughes utilizes personal narratives and cultural lyricism to assert that the American experience encompasses both African and European heritage — a notion that aligns with the push for desegregation, as both sought recognition of African Americans as equal citizens.
Hughes' legacy is one of highlighting the Jim Crow laws and the everyday realities of segregation, which relate directly to the societal challenges addressed in the Brown v. Board case, making option (a) Both poems explore themes of racial segregation and inequality similar to the case's issue the proper answer to the question regarding the relationship between the themes in Hughes' poems and the case.