Richard Wright Immortalized on Postage
First-Day-of-Issue Ceremony in Chicago
“To tell the truth is the hardest thing on earth, harder than fighting in a war, harder than taking part in a revolution.”
Richard Wright, 1944
2008 marked the centennial of one of America’s most famous native sons. We celebrated by reading, writing, and studying Richard Wright, and remembering him as a dedicated fighter for justice, freedom, and human rights.
The centennial has come and gone, but Wright’s legacy lives on. New audiences are now reading Wright’s works as he was remembered and celebrated throughout the US, Europe and Japan. A new book by Wright appeared in January, A Father’s Law. His hometown of Natchez recognized him in 2008 by dedicating a memorial highway in his honor in February. On April 9, 2009, the US Postal Service will unveil the Richard Wright commemorative stamp. In many ways, therefore, new meaning is being given to Wright’s life and work in the twenty-first century. Jonathan Yardley, writing in the Washington Post, helps to put Wright in perspective for our time:
Race relations in this country have scarcely reached millennial perfection…but it comes as a shock nonetheless to be reminded of just how debased their condition was a mere eight or nine decades ago, especially when that reminder is couched in language as eloquent and passionate as Wright's.
Wright published twenty books of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction during his lifetime and posthumously. He lived a life of political engagement; in addition to his poetry, fiction, and autobiography, he wrote about his experiences in Europe, Asia, and Africa. He died of a heart attack in Paris on November 28, 1960.
In 2009, with the election of the first African American president, Wright would surely be proud to be an American. He continues to inspire because of his belief in writing for the purpose of fostering human understanding and effecting social change.
Richard Wright at 100 project goals:
- To promote and celebrate the work of Richard Wright through reading, discussion, and action.
- To generate interest in a subject through democratic involvement and diverse participation.
- To foster increased intergenerational and intercultural dialogue about a major writer.
- To advance literacy by creating more venues for reading, including community centers and churches.
- To provide increased opportunities for teacher' professional development.
- To encourage the development of new scholarship on Richard Wright.
- To strengthen collaboration between and among community and academic institutions as a way of bridging the divide between the scholarly and public worlds.
Start a reading group today at your school, library, church, community center, or home.