Richard Wright, American novelist, short story writer, essayist, and poet (d. 1960)
Richard Nathaniel Wright (September 4, 1908 - November 28, 1960) was an American author of novels, short stories, poems, and non-fiction. Much of his literature concerns racial themes, especially related to the plight of African Americans during the late 19th to mid-20th centuries suffering discrimination and violence. Literary critics believe his work helped change race relations in the United States in the mid-20th century.