Abstract:
When explaining his decision to write his autobiography,Black Boy, Richard Wright once remarked that he did so in part because he realized that he was a “very average Negro.” He hoped that his story would be read as representative of the experiences of others who lacked his access to the reading public. Due to his extraordinary talent and unprecedented success as an African-American novelist, his claim initially sounds like false modesty. However, it also manifests his sensitivity to the fact that he did not walk through history unaccompanied. This seminar will demonstrate how Richard Wright’s life can be used as an example for teaching many aspects of African-American history. Topics covered will include Reconstruction, the Great Migration, African-American life during the Great Depression, and various African-American cultural and political responses to racial oppression.
When explaining his decision to write his autobiography,Black Boy, Richard Wright once remarked that he did so in part because he realized that he was a “very average Negro.” He hoped that his story would be read as representative of the experiences of others who lacked his access to the reading public. Due to his extraordinary talent and unprecedented success as an African-American novelist, his claim initially sounds like false modesty. However, it also manifests his sensitivity to the fact that he did not walk through history unaccompanied. This seminar will demonstrate how Richard Wright’s life can be used as an example for teaching many aspects of African-American history. Topics covered will include Reconstruction, the Great Migration, African-American life during the Great Depression, and various African-American cultural and political responses to racial oppression.
About Jennifer Wallach:
Dr. Wallach is an Assistant Professor of History at the University of North Texas. She is a respected scholar of African-American History and the author of the recent Wright biography, Richard Wright: From Black Boy to World Citizen. Other publications include articles related to African-American history and the book Closer to the Truth than Any Fact: Memoir, Memory, and Jim Crow.
Dr. Wallach is an Assistant Professor of History at the University of North Texas. She is a respected scholar of African-American History and the author of the recent Wright biography, Richard Wright: From Black Boy to World Citizen. Other publications include articles related to African-American history and the book Closer to the Truth than Any Fact: Memoir, Memory, and Jim Crow.
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