Richard Wright is a very popular African American writer who has produced many works including short stories that graphically and personally describe situations that were relevant to his experiences of growing up in a society filled with racism and discrimination. He was born September 4, 1908, on a plantation to parents named Ella and Nathan Wright. Growing up in Mississippi, among other places in the south wasn’t easy for him. Wright was in and out of schools, never getting the complete education that he needed (RW Biography).  “At age nineteen Wright decided that he wanted to be a writer. He moved to Chicago, Illinois, where he had access to public libraries” (Notable Bio). He began reading up on various authors. Soon after, Wright got a job to support his family that came to live with him. “He wrote some short stories and a novel during that time but they were not published until after his death” (Rayson).When Richard Wright’s work, “Native Son” was released, his popularity grew. Prior to its release, his short story collection “Uncle Tom’s Children” was also gaining major recognition. It “won first prize for the Story magazine contest open to Federal Writer’s Project authors for best book-length manuscript” (Rayson). “Native Son” won numerous awards, helping Wright to be a best-selling African American author. Many people describe Richard Wright as one of the most influential African American writers of all time. His work is truly incredible. The way he uses his own experiences to highlight stories really makes them seem life-like.