<I>Frank Wright Oral History Interview</I>
date: label: Date
content: 2012
name: label: Interviewed by
content: Kelly Elaine Navies, American
label: Interview of
content: Franklin I. Wright, American, 1937 - 2020
label: Subject of
content: Ira Samuel Wright, American, 1902 - 1981
label: Subject of
content: Lillian Hull Wright
label: Subject of
content: Bowie State University, founded 1865
label: Subject of
content: Wright Brothers Quartet, American
notes: label: Description
content: An oral history interview with Frank Wright. It consists of a single WAVE file (.wav). Mr. Frank Wright was interviewed by Kelly Elaine Navies on August 19th, 2012, at his daughter’s home in Hebron, Maryland. At the time of the interview, Mr. Wright was 75 years old. The purpose of the interview was to record Mr. Wright’s memories of being a third-generation waterman on Maryland’s Eastern Shore and supplements several objects from the oyster boat of Mr. Wright’s father, Ira Samuel Wright in the NMAAHC collection.
label: Description
content: The interview begins with Mr. Wright recounting his earliest memories of going out on the oyster boat with his father, Ira Wright. He recalls how he learned to cull, and later, to tong oysters, and he describes a typical day working on the water, including singing spirituals while they worked. He discusses the close-knit community of African American watermen and remembers how they helped each other on and off the water. He describes the relationships between white and Black watermen as well.
label: Description
content: Mr. Wright talks about his reverence for his father and mentions how he was in a gospel quartet with his brothers known as the "Wright Brothers Quartet," describing the camp meetings the men would have where they would sing, clap, and stomp in a
label: Description
content: circular formation.
label: Description
content: Mr. Wright also talks about the various enterprises his family was involved in beyond oystering, such as crabbing, fishing, farming, and operating a general store. He explains how his mother ran the general store and maintained the household, and he shares how she encouraged him to become a teacher. Mr. Wright attended Bowie State, just like his mother, who also taught school. Toward the end of the interview, he talks about his work as a middle school teacher, and later, a store owner. In conclusion, Mr. Wright reflects on what he hopes Museum visitors remember about his family and their work as watermen.
place: label: Place collected
content: Hebron, Wicomico County, Maryland, United States, North and Central America
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Black Enterprise
label: Topic
content: Business
label: Topic
content: Communities
label: Topic
content: Education
label: Topic
content: Families
label: Topic
content: Foodways
label: Topic
content: Labor
label: Topic
content: Local and regional
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Classification
content: Time-based Media - Audio
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2024.61.1.1
objectType: label: Type
content: oral histories
label: Type
content: WAVE (format)
label: Type
content: digital media - born digital
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: digital
label: Dimensions
content: Duration: 1 hr., 25 min., 7 sec.
label: Dimensions
content: File size: 1.82 GB