- Created by
- National Museum of African American History and Culture, American, founded 2003
- Interview of
- Wright, Franklin I., American, 1937 - 2020
- Interviewed by
- Navies, Kelly Elaine, American
- Subject of
- Wright, Ira Samuel, American, 1902 - 1981
- Bowie State University, founded 1865
- Wright Brothers Quartet
- Date
- 2012
- Medium
- digital
- Dimensions
- Duration (a): 1 hr., 19 min., 57 sec.
- File size (a): 807 MB
- Duration (b): 5 min., 29 sec.
- File size (b): 55.4 MB
- Description
- Two unedited audio files for an oral history interview with Frank Wright. The files are held in Waveform Audio File Format (WAVE) (.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.
- 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. He discusses the close-knit community of African American watermen and remembers how they helped each other on and off the water. Mr. Wright also talks about the various activities 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. Toward the end of the interview, he talks about his work as a schoolteacher, 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 collected
- Hebron, Wicomico County, Maryland, United States, North and Central America
- Classification
- Time-based Media - Audio
- Topic
- Black Enterprise
- Business
- Foodways
- Labor
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
- Object number
- 2024.61.1.2ab




