Richard Wright, a noted writer and civil rights advocate, was honored by a centennial celebratory conference at the U this weekend for his novels depicting racism in the 20th century.
Wright, born in 1908, was a respected personality from the ’30s to the ’50s, and is considered one of America’s top writers of the 20th century, said Wilfred Samuels, an English professor at the U.
“We are recognizing and celebrating his contributions to African-American literature and culture,” Samuels said.
Visiting scholars, authors, teachers and students gathered for the “100 Years of Richard Wright” conference to discuss Wright and his contributions to the world.
One of the visiting scholars, Robert Butler, an English professor at Canisius College in New York, said in a panel meeting how Wright’s works are still as relevant today as they were when first published.
“(Wright) is someone who enables us to see our cultures in more powerful, clear and penetrating ways,” Butler said.
The black author, who died in 1960, wrote multiple fiction and nonfiction works, including Uncle Tom’s Children, a collection of short stories about racism. Butler said his legacy helps people understand modern problems and gives people courage to face them.
Maryemma Graham, another Wright scholar, spoke of him as being a highly productive writer.
Graham, an English professor at the University of Kansas, reminded listeners that many of Wright’s fictions denote his feeling of “justice denied” and “human rights violated” as a result of discrimination.
Samuels, who organized the conference, said it was designed to give people a chance to speak and share their findings about Wright.
Chase Kirkham, a senior in English at the U, presented a paper about Zora Neale Hurston, another black writer, in an attempt to look at Wright’s novel, Native Son, in an alternative way.
Kirkham said this conference will increase awareness of black literature.
“It’s a great chance for students and faculty to come together and share different points of view,” he said.
It’s important for the U and other institutions to do their job in preparing, educating and expanding students’ ideas of America and its history, Samuels said.
“It is true that we are now not only not an isolated country globally,” Samuels said. “We live in a global village…our own diverse culture needs to be celebrated, studied and understood.”