MSRC Staff

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

10-1-2015

Abstract

reports of Major Wright's business ventures, including the Citizens and Southern Bank and Trust Company and the Haitian Coffee and Products Trading Company. Of particular interest is the documentation surrounding the 1939 Goodwill Flight to Haiti, as well as a recording titled "Tell Them We Are Rising," a biography of Major R.R. Wright, Sr. Also included are photographs and various items documenting the achievements and contributions of several prominent members of his family, including his sons, Bishop R.R. Wright, Jr. and E.C. Wright. There are books in the collection written by and about the Wright family. Eighty-Seven Years behind the Black Curtain (1965) by R.R. Wright, Jr. is a compelling account of his life as a banker, Wilberforce University president, and official of the A.M.E. church. The Records of the National Freedom Day Association comprise 10 linear ft. One of the largest components of the collection consists of proclamations received from more than 40 states and the city of Philadelphia over a period of 35 years Printed programs from annual celebrations, spanning the period 1942 to 1993, represent another significant component. The photographs are the highlight of the collection. Spanning the years 1942 to 1986, they illustrate the various National Freedom Day activities, and serve to underline the significance of the day by the important personages who are depicted. For example, in 1945, some Tuskegee Airmen are pictured receiving an award; in 1949, Eleanor Roosevelt is pictured with E.C. Wright; Coretta Scott King is seen speaking at the 1957 event. There are also photos of Martin Luther King, Jr., Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., Jersey Joe Walcott, Joe Louis, Elder Lightfoot Michaux , Benjamin Mays, Father Divine, Julian Bond and many others. The collection was donated in 1977 by E.C. Wright.

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