Native Son: The Story of Richard Wright Book

Traces the life and achievements of the twentieth-century African American novelist, whose early life was shaped by a strict grandmother who had been a slave, an illiterate ...

Children's Literature

I have read a number of books on the life of Richard Wright but this one goes into more detail than others about his impoverished childhood. Poverty was not Richard Wright's only stumbling block. He lived with racial discrimination, threats on his life and the injustices that permeated society during the period of his lifetime. In one incident, he was befriended by an employee where he worked who allowed Richard to take out library books in his name since black people were not allowed to have library cards. There were a few such kindnesses during his early life. Through reading books, such as H. L. Menken's Prejudices, he learned the power of the written word. The more he read the more determined he was to become a writer. Once he moved north to Chicago, he became involved with the Communist party. Within the organization there was a club for artist and writers called the John Reed Club. Richard was happy to find an outlet for his artist endeavors. His peers often criticized him because his writings contained so much anger, fear, hunger and frustration. But Richard Wright felt it had to be told so that people would understand how racism and discrimination affect black people. 2002, Morgan Reynolds Publishing, Toledo