Richard Wright: “The White Problem in the United States”

Richard Wright received international acclaim for his novels, short stories, poems, and nonfiction work, much of which recounted African American struggles in the early twentieth century. Having had no formal schooling until after age twelve, Wright quickly developed a talent for writing. He wrote his first short story at age fifteen. In 1937 he became the bureau chief for The Daily Worker, a communist publication. Wright’s successful novel Native Son was translated into many European languages. While living in France, where he moved in 1946, Wright continued to provide commentary on American society. The interview excerpted here is an example of such commentary, explaining the plight of Black people around the world and correcting international stereotypes of famous African Americans in the United States. This piece conveys Wright’s opinions of social institutions, law, religion, and systematic discrimination in the American urban landscape.