Richard Wright

Born in 1908 near Roxie, Mississippi, Richard Wright received international renown for his powerful and visceral depictions of the Black experience. During a childhood scarred by hunger, Wright lived in Memphis, Tennessee, and in Elaine, Arkansas, where his uncle was lynched. As the author of numerous works of fiction and nonfiction, Wright stands today as one of the greatest American writers of the twentieth century. Two of his works, the novel Native Son and his autobiography Black Boy, remain required reading in many high schools and colleges across the nation. He died in 1960 in Paris, France.