November 7th in African American History – Willis Richardson

November 7, 1977 Willis Richardson, playwright, died.

Richardson was born November 5, 1889 in Wilmington, North Carolina but raised in Washington, D. C. In 1921, Richardson staged his first play, “The Deacon’s Awakening.” This was followed by “The Chip Woman’s Fortune” (1922), “Mortgaged” (1923), “The Broken Banjo” (1925), and “Bootblack Lover” (1926).

The last two plays were awarded the Amy Spingarn Prize. Richardson was posthumously awarded the AUDELCO prize for his contribution to American theater.