Marion Thompson Wright (September 12, 1902 – October 26, 1962) was an African-American scholar and activist. In 1940, Wright became the first
African-American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...
woman in the United States to earn her
Ph.D.
A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is ...
in history.
Early life
Marion Manola Thompson Wright was born in
East Orange, New Jersey
East Orange is a City (New Jersey), city in Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, the city's population was 69,612. The city was List of municipalities in ...
, on September 12, 1902, to Minnie Thompson and Moses R. Thompson. Wright was the youngest of four children, and had two older twin sisters and a brother who died at a young age.
Few details are available on Thompson's youth, but she attended
Barringer High School
Barringer Academy of the Arts & Humanities (formerly Barringer High School and Newark High School), is a four-year comprehensive public high school serving students in ninth through twelfth grades in Newark, in Essex County, New Jersey, United ...
in
Newark, New Jersey
Newark ( , ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the seat of Essex County and the second largest city within the New York metropolitan area.
Personal life
At the age of 16, Wright married William Moss and had two children, Thelma and James. Wright made the decision to leave her children with her husband in order to continue to pursue her high school degree. This was due to the expectations that women were not to be accepted into higher universities if they were married or divorced. A few years later, Wright divorced from her husband, leaving her children with her mother while continuing to pursue her education. Wright married Arthur M. Wright, but divorced soon after.
Education
After graduating from high school, Wright attended
Howard University
Howard University (Howard) is a private, federally chartered historically black research university in Washington, D.C. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity" and accredited by the Middle States Commissi ...
, where she received her bachelor's degree in 1927, before earning her master's in
History
History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the History of writing#Inventions of writing, invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbr ...
and
Education
Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty. Va ...
. After this, she attended
Teachers College, Columbia University
Teachers College, Columbia University (TC), is the graduate school of education, health, and psychology of Columbia University, a private research university in New York City. Founded in 1887, it has served as one of the official faculties and ...
where she began her work on her dissertation. Wright completed her dissertation, "The Education of Negroes in New Jersey", which focused on the state of education for Blacks and its consistent segregated and unjust schools. Wright became the first Black woman in the United States to earn her Ph.D. in History in 1940.
After earning her Ph.D., Wright went back to Howard, where she taught. She began the ''
Negro History Bulletin
The Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) is an organization dedicated to the study and appreciation of African-American History. It is a non-profit organization founded in Chicago, Illinois, on September 9, 1915 ...
'' to educate students on their Black history. In the 1950s, she worked with the
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is a civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909 as an interracial endeavor to advance justice for African Americans by a group including W. E. ...
(NAACP). In addition, Wright's dissertation was incorporated into the
Brown v. Board of Education
''Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka'', 347 U.S. 483 (1954), was a landmark decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled that U.S. state laws establishing racial segregation in public schools are unconstitutional, even if the segrega ...
argument.
Death and legacy
At the age of 60, Wright's body was found unresponsive inside her car in her garage. Her death certificate states that she died of
cardiopulmonary
The blood circulatory system is a system of organs that includes the heart, blood vessels, and blood which is circulated throughout the entire body of a human or other vertebrate. It includes the cardiovascular system, or vascular system, tha ...
failure; however, some sources state that she committed
suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and s ...
.
Each year,
Rutgers University–Newark
Rutgers University–Newark is one of three regional campuses of Rutgers University, New Jersey's State University. It is located in Newark. Rutgers, founded in 1766 in New Brunswick, is the eighth oldest college in the United States and a me ...
hosts an annual Marion Thompson Wright Lecture Series. The event is a part of the celebration of
Black History Month
Black History Month is an annual observance originating in the United States, where it is also known as African-American History Month. It has received official recognition from governments in the United States and Canada, and more recently ...
and in February 2018, Rutgers celebrated their 38th annual lecture series.