"Won't be weighted down:" Richard R. Wright, Jr.'s contributions to social work and social welfare

Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare, June, 2004 by Kevin F. Modesto

Research and Writing

From 1909 to 1928, Wright's focus shifted from a direct practice of social welfare to shaping opinions as the editor of the Christian Recorder. Robert Gregg (1993) points out in Sparks From the Anvil of Oppression that as editor of the Christian Recorder, Wright was one of the primary advocates of the Southern migrants. Wright's research was being published in many scholarly journals and periodicals, in addition to the Christian Recorder, during this time. His research provides a vivid picture of Black life during the progressive era. Wright ([1912] 1969) writes, "Only after one has obtained knowledge of the history, is he fully competent to deal with present problems, and then he is less certain than ever that any of the ordinary problems of life are particularly Negro problems." He was able to demonstrate that African Americans had made great contributions to our nation and were capable of making similar contributions if the barriers of race were removed allowing free and equal competition.

While Wright was a prolific writer, he also applied his research in practical contexts. During the time Wright served as editor of the Christian Recorder, he remained active in banking through his association with the Eighth Ward Building and Loan and by founding Citizen's and Southern Bank with his Father Major R. R. Wright (Wright, 1965). Citizen's and Southern became one of the premier Black owned banks in the nation and offered true opportunities for African American self-help (Haynes, 1952; Meier, 1969). Wright's contributions to banking were truly significant. According to M. R. Davie (1949), "The Negro bank is more than a financial institution; it is a symbol of the Negro's aspirations to enter commercial life of the nation and a mark of his faith in his own ability and competence." These economic ventures were instruments of self-help and hope.

The Parish Church

In 1928, R. R. Wright, Jr. returned to the parish ministry as the pastor of Ward AME Church in Philadelphia. From his pastoral position, Wright continued to influence social work and social welfare in the city of Philadelphia. The Philadelphia Evening Bulletin (9/1/28) notes that Wright was going to have a nurse and a social worker on staff at Ward AME. This was consistent with his belief in the Social Gospel. Wright (1965) writes, "For me there was little else for the church to do than to make practical its belief in God and brotherhood, and to help build a Christian society on earth."

This concept was consistent throughout Wright's ministry. In the Outline of the Teachings of Jesus, originally published in 1903, Wright writes, "The Christian ought to strive to make the state the true representative of the Kingdom of God upon earth." We can see this in his early pastorate at Chicago's Trinity AME Church and in his writing and social work (Wright, 1965). There is little surprise that the same elements would be representative of his later pastorates. In practical ways, Wright used his churches as meeting places for clergy and social activists and staging grounds for education and change in the community.