Gertrude Wright

Posted on November 14, 2013 by editor

Gertrude Wright, who was the first African American to graduate from Springfield High School, went on to marry Clement Morgan, a lawyer in Massachusetts. Both Wright Morgan and her husband played prominent roles in W.E.B. Dubois’ Niagara Movement, designed as a counterweight to Booker T. Washington’s accommodationist approach to civil rights.

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3 Responses to Gertrude Wright

  1. James Spencer says:
    October 5, 2017 at 9:30 pm

    My research indicates that she was also the valedictorian of her class

    Reply
  2. James Spencer says:
    October 5, 2017 at 9:32 pm

    I am her nephew and an author.My next book is about the Wrights of Springfield

    Reply
  3. editor says:
    October 6, 2017 at 2:06 pm

    Mr. Spencer: Thanks for writing. Let us know when your book is ready. SangamonLink has a considerably longer entry about Gertrude Wright under the title “First black high school graduate”; there’s a link in the post above, but here it is again: http://sangamoncountyhistory.org/wp/?p=2693

    According to newspaper stories at the time, Ms. Wright ranked third academically in the class of 1877.

    Reply

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