The person I choose for my African American Literature Biography is Richard Wright. The main reason why I choose him is because I heard of him before but I never really knew what he did so I think this is the prefect time to research him. I’ll be telling you about his early childhood, what he did and some of his accomplishments.

Richard Wright was born on a cotton plantation near Natchez, Mississippi year 1908. His father deserted the family when he was five. A few years later, his mother became ill. Richard and his brother lived with different relatives and for a time then put in an orphanage. Before age 12 Richard did not have a single full year of schooling. Then he moved to Memphis, Tennessee where he began writing. When Richard was growing up he was poor. He was unable to get a book in order to borrow one from the library in Memphis he forged a note from a white borrower.

Richard literary career began after he moved to Chicago. There he became involved in radical politics. He joined the communist party and began writing for Lefist magazine. His interest turned to fiction by the time he left for New York, he had begun Uncle Tom’s Children. His first major success came in 1940 when he published his novel Native Son. He changed today’s life by being the first written book by an African American to be chosen for the book of the month club. Black boy the story of his early life in the south, appeared in 1945 and became a bestseller. Many thought that book was a masterpiece.

After Richard moved to France he continued to write fiction and nonfiction books. At the time of his death in year 1960, he was working on the Eight Men, which was published in the year 1961.

In conclusion, I told you about Richard Wright’s early life, what he did and his some of accomplishments. I’m glad I’ve chosen Richard Wright to be the person to write about for the African American Literature Biography aren’t you.