Wright, Nathan

Epithet: King's Serjeant; Lord Keeper 1700

British Library Archives and Manuscripts Catalogue : Person : Description : ark:/81055/vdc_100000000507.0x00023d

The Rev. Dr. Nathan Wright, Jr., an Episcopal minister and scholar, was an early and prominent advocate of black power. Born in 1923 in Louisiana and raised in Cincinnati, he earned five college degrees, including a bachelor's degree from the University of Cincinnati, a master's degree from the Episcopal Theological School, and a doctorate of education from Harvard University. Having been ordained a deacon and priest in 1950, he served the Episcopal Church in a variety of roles in Boston, Newark and Harlem, among other locations. He was also the director of "Greater Things" Ministries.

An early civil rights advocate, Wright participated in one of the first Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) freedom rides in 1947. Wright's most influential role in black politics, however, came in 1967 as chairman of the National Conference on Black Power in Newark. This conference symbolized a major shift in black politics.

Wright authored eighteen books, many dealing with race in America, among them "Black Power and Urban Unrest; Creative Possibilities," "Let's Face Racism," "Let's Work Together, Race, Circumstance and Higher Education," "Ready to Riot," and "Urban Issues Facing the Churches." He also wrote poetry, and published a book of sermons and a volume on Christian philosophy. Several of his book-length manuscripts remain unpublished. As a theologian, he wrote scores of articles published in theological and popular journals. In addition, Wright was a columnist for the Star-Ledger, a newspaper in Newark; his articles were syndicated in one hundred newspapers around the country.

An urbanist and educator, Wright served as professor of urban affairs at the State University of New York at Albany from 1969 to 1981, and was the founding chairman of its Department of African and Afro-American Studies. He became the communications director at Passaic County Community College in Paterson, New Jersey in 1981. Wright maintained a busy schedule of lecturing at colleges, universities and other venues throughout the nation. The recipient of a number of honorary degrees and awards, Wright died in 2005 at the age of 81.

From the description of Nathan Wright papers, 1936-2005 (bulk ca. 1950-1990) (New York Public Library). WorldCat record id: 85852932