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White Man, Listen!
A collection of the controversial and passionate lectures that Richard Wright delivered in Europe from 1950 to 1956 on such topics as race in America, Black literature, and nationalism in Africa.
176 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1957
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About the author
Richard Wright
328 books2,255 followersRichard Nathaniel Wright was an African-American author of powerful, sometimes controversial novels, short stories and non-fiction. Much of his literature concerned racial themes. His work helped redefine discussions of race relations in America in the mid-20th century.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 20, 2014
MY FAVORITE BOOK OF WRIGHT'S
nuanced critique of colonialism.
"liberation" of Ghana.
***how black american literature developed (with contrasts seen via pushkin & dumas). brilliant analysis that puts the development of this specific literature in perspective. MUST READ.
look for wright's stunningly brilliant poem "between the world and me".
BETWEEN THE WORLD AND ME - RICHARD WRIGHT
And one morning while in the woods I stumbled
suddenly upon the thing,
Stumbled upon it in a grassy clearing guarded by scaly
oaks and elms
And the sooty details of the scene rose, thrusting
themselves between the world and me....
There was a design of white bones slumbering forgottenly
upon a cushion of ashes.
There was a charred stump of a sapling pointing a blunt
finger accusingly at the sky.
There were torn tree limbs, tiny veins of burnt leaves, and
a scorched coil of greasy hemp;
A vacant shoe, an empty tie, a ripped shirt, a lonely hat,
and a pair of trousers stiff with black blood.
And upon the trampled grass were buttons, dead matches,
butt-ends of cigars and cigarettes, peanut shells, a
drained gin-flask, and a whore's lipstick;
Scattered traces of tar, restless arrays of feathers, and the
lingering smell of gasoline.
And through the morning air the sun poured yellow
surprise into the eye sockets of the stony skull....
And while I stood my mind was frozen within cold pity
for the life that was gone.
The ground gripped my feet and my heart was circled by
icy walls of fear--
The sun died in the sky; a night wind muttered in the
grass and fumbled the leaves in the trees; the woods
poured forth the hungry yelping of hounds; the
darkness screamed with thirsty voices; and the witnesses rose and lived:
The dry bones stirred, rattled, lifted, melting themselves
into my bones.
The grey ashes formed flesh firm and black, entering into
my flesh.
The gin-flask passed from mouth to mouth, cigars and
cigarettes glowed, the whore smeared lipstick red
upon her lips,
And a thousand faces swirled around me, clamoring that
my life be burned....
And then they had me, stripped me, battering my teeth
into my throat till I swallowed my own blood.
My voice was drowned in the roar of their voices, and my
black wet body slipped and rolled in their hands as
they bound me to the sapling.
And my skin clung to the bubbling hot tar, falling from
me in limp patches.
And the down and quills of the white feathers sank into
my raw flesh, and I moaned in my agony.
Then my blood was cooled mercifully, cooled by a
baptism of gasoline.
And in a blaze of red I leaped to the sky as pain rose like water, boiling my limbs
Panting, begging I clutched childlike, clutched to the hot
sides of death.
Now I am dry bones and my face a stony skull staring in
yellow surprise at the sun....
nuanced critique of colonialism.
"liberation" of Ghana.
***how black american literature developed (with contrasts seen via pushkin & dumas). brilliant analysis that puts the development of this specific literature in perspective. MUST READ.
look for wright's stunningly brilliant poem "between the world and me".
BETWEEN THE WORLD AND ME - RICHARD WRIGHT
And one morning while in the woods I stumbled
suddenly upon the thing,
Stumbled upon it in a grassy clearing guarded by scaly
oaks and elms
And the sooty details of the scene rose, thrusting
themselves between the world and me....
There was a design of white bones slumbering forgottenly
upon a cushion of ashes.
There was a charred stump of a sapling pointing a blunt
finger accusingly at the sky.
There were torn tree limbs, tiny veins of burnt leaves, and
a scorched coil of greasy hemp;
A vacant shoe, an empty tie, a ripped shirt, a lonely hat,
and a pair of trousers stiff with black blood.
And upon the trampled grass were buttons, dead matches,
butt-ends of cigars and cigarettes, peanut shells, a
drained gin-flask, and a whore's lipstick;
Scattered traces of tar, restless arrays of feathers, and the
lingering smell of gasoline.
And through the morning air the sun poured yellow
surprise into the eye sockets of the stony skull....
And while I stood my mind was frozen within cold pity
for the life that was gone.
The ground gripped my feet and my heart was circled by
icy walls of fear--
The sun died in the sky; a night wind muttered in the
grass and fumbled the leaves in the trees; the woods
poured forth the hungry yelping of hounds; the
darkness screamed with thirsty voices; and the witnesses rose and lived:
The dry bones stirred, rattled, lifted, melting themselves
into my bones.
The grey ashes formed flesh firm and black, entering into
my flesh.
The gin-flask passed from mouth to mouth, cigars and
cigarettes glowed, the whore smeared lipstick red
upon her lips,
And a thousand faces swirled around me, clamoring that
my life be burned....
And then they had me, stripped me, battering my teeth
into my throat till I swallowed my own blood.
My voice was drowned in the roar of their voices, and my
black wet body slipped and rolled in their hands as
they bound me to the sapling.
And my skin clung to the bubbling hot tar, falling from
me in limp patches.
And the down and quills of the white feathers sank into
my raw flesh, and I moaned in my agony.
Then my blood was cooled mercifully, cooled by a
baptism of gasoline.
And in a blaze of red I leaped to the sky as pain rose like water, boiling my limbs
Panting, begging I clutched childlike, clutched to the hot
sides of death.
Now I am dry bones and my face a stony skull staring in
yellow surprise at the sun....
December 12, 2025
Although I have some sympathy for those who say that any call to take on individual politics is itself an example of oppression, my greater sympathies lie with the viewpoint that the true political world is to be found by realizing the one that exists in our hearts and insistently yearns to be born. Although it remains as yet a nascent dream of the rabble, the true realization of this dream can be seen as potentially emerging at the present moment, as we are at the dawn of the age of artificial intelligence, which promises that the significant majority of the world which lives on less than $30 a day will have its living standards raised significantly, primarily through the revolutionary changes A.I. promises to make by boosting productivity in essential sectors like agriculture, healthcare, and education.
Were he alive today, Richard Wright would be astonished to learn that A.I.'s potential to raise the standards of living for most of the world's inhabitants including, significantly, the many black people and other minorities that he championed, is already being seen in these three areas, to the degree that AI applications specifically tailored for under-served communities are already showing measurable impacts: firstly, in Agriculture, where tools like precision farming can boost crop yields for smallholder farmers, while platforms like "Darli" provide over 110,000 African farmers access to advice and financing in local languages; secondly, in healthcare, where AI can provide early detection of chronic diseases and rapid medical diagnoses in areas with few doctors, potentially reducing the massive personal and societal costs of avoidable health issues; thirdly, in productivity, where research indicates AI may benefit less experienced workers more than highly skilled ones, potentially helping low-income workers narrow skill gaps more quickly; and finally, in regional Growth where, among some of the areas of the globe Wright called attention to the most, for instance, in the Asia-Pacific region, home to a significant portion of the global poor, where it is predicted that AI could lift annual GDP growth by roughly 2 percentage points.
After reading this book, I am left wondering ill the 'white man', be it Elon Musk or Sam Altman or perhaps even Donald Trump himself, who is currently preoccupied by the race to become the world's first trillionaire, will they allow a.i. to raise the living standards of the majority of the world that lives on less than thirty dollars a day, or will Richard Wright's call for a John Lennon-style imaginary world ever come to pass and made into reality? Whether AI will raise global living standards for the poor or exacerbate inequality is a major debate, with tech leaders like Sam Altman envisioning universal abundance (UBI) while others fear wealth concentration, but it hinges on economic policy choices (taxation, regulation, UBI) rather than just tech capability, as AI can create wealth, but who controls it and how benefits are shared determines if it's utopia or dystopia, echoing literary debates on progress vs. exploitation
Regarding the Richard Wright/John Lennon question, it appears that regarding a dream of shared prosperity and peace ("Imagine all the people living life in peace"), the concern is whether current economic systems, driven by extreme wealth accumulation (the "trillionaire race"), will prioritize profit over people, stifling AI's potential for good, much like Wright explored racial and economic divides. It seems to me that the overall conclusion is that AI's potential is dual-edged. It can create the abundance needed to lift billions out of poverty, but this isn't automatic; it depends on policy, ethics, and who controls the technology. Without deliberate, equitable distribution mechanisms (like robust UBI or social ownership), the path leads more towards increased inequality, potentially leaving the "imaginary world" of shared well-being unrealized. Three stars.
Were he alive today, Richard Wright would be astonished to learn that A.I.'s potential to raise the standards of living for most of the world's inhabitants including, significantly, the many black people and other minorities that he championed, is already being seen in these three areas, to the degree that AI applications specifically tailored for under-served communities are already showing measurable impacts: firstly, in Agriculture, where tools like precision farming can boost crop yields for smallholder farmers, while platforms like "Darli" provide over 110,000 African farmers access to advice and financing in local languages; secondly, in healthcare, where AI can provide early detection of chronic diseases and rapid medical diagnoses in areas with few doctors, potentially reducing the massive personal and societal costs of avoidable health issues; thirdly, in productivity, where research indicates AI may benefit less experienced workers more than highly skilled ones, potentially helping low-income workers narrow skill gaps more quickly; and finally, in regional Growth where, among some of the areas of the globe Wright called attention to the most, for instance, in the Asia-Pacific region, home to a significant portion of the global poor, where it is predicted that AI could lift annual GDP growth by roughly 2 percentage points.
After reading this book, I am left wondering ill the 'white man', be it Elon Musk or Sam Altman or perhaps even Donald Trump himself, who is currently preoccupied by the race to become the world's first trillionaire, will they allow a.i. to raise the living standards of the majority of the world that lives on less than thirty dollars a day, or will Richard Wright's call for a John Lennon-style imaginary world ever come to pass and made into reality? Whether AI will raise global living standards for the poor or exacerbate inequality is a major debate, with tech leaders like Sam Altman envisioning universal abundance (UBI) while others fear wealth concentration, but it hinges on economic policy choices (taxation, regulation, UBI) rather than just tech capability, as AI can create wealth, but who controls it and how benefits are shared determines if it's utopia or dystopia, echoing literary debates on progress vs. exploitation
Regarding the Richard Wright/John Lennon question, it appears that regarding a dream of shared prosperity and peace ("Imagine all the people living life in peace"), the concern is whether current economic systems, driven by extreme wealth accumulation (the "trillionaire race"), will prioritize profit over people, stifling AI's potential for good, much like Wright explored racial and economic divides. It seems to me that the overall conclusion is that AI's potential is dual-edged. It can create the abundance needed to lift billions out of poverty, but this isn't automatic; it depends on policy, ethics, and who controls the technology. Without deliberate, equitable distribution mechanisms (like robust UBI or social ownership), the path leads more towards increased inequality, potentially leaving the "imaginary world" of shared well-being unrealized. Three stars.
February 7, 2011
Here we have a collection of controversial lectures that Richard Wright delivered at various universities in Europe from 1950 to 1956. These lectures represent an overview of his thoughts and analyses regarding colored, oppressed and colonized peoples all over the world; the overview developed through his broad study and actual discussions with such peoples.
"The Psychological Reactions of Oppressed Peoples" is an effort to give Western Whites a view into the minds and hearts of such individuals. It includes a bold portrayal of the differences in spiritual outlook between the various cultures.
"Tradition and Industrialization" deals with the conflicted position of what he calls the "tragic elite" in Asia and Africa: people who have been educated in Britain, Europe and Asia, only to return to their native lands wanting to bring their countries into 20th century life but not able to be wholly native nor completely Western.
"The Literature of the Negro" is perhaps the first attempt by a Black literary man to provide an overview of writing by Black Americans. He covers novelists, poets, and memoirists.
The final section, "The Miracle of Nationalism in the African Gold Coast," continued to help me understand the extremely difficult social and political necessities of building nations in Africa after centuries of colonialism, economic rape, and Christian influence in these lands.
If we White people had been able to listen to Richard Wright in the 1950s, we might have a different world today. It is admirable that this man was able to express such ideas so cogently and I found them still very worthwhile in the 21st century. Sadly, like the idea of peace, getting the White man to listen may be just a dream some of us had.
May 15, 2018
What was controversial and passionate in 1950-1956 is florid and settled at this late date. It was driven in large part by two events at the time which were believed to have a greater impact on the world but which have resulted in unsettled nation status ever since rather than the modernization Wright perceived. The all caps sentences screaming at the reader and the condescending attitude of the author/speaker made this short volume a chore to read.
January 8, 2017
Excellent overview of the issues affecting places in Africa and Asia that were colonized (written in the 1950s). Wright explains the difficulties from both a governance standpoint as well as individuals and communities. He further delves into issues affecting People of Color in the U.S. and provides analysis on the issues and path forward.
October 24, 2025
It was short and sweet packed a huge punch.I especially liked the poetry part being a poet myself
September 28, 2014
Wow, by far, a great thought-provoking author; and, this book reaffirms to me, his works are very important, one of my favourite works. Although the book is dated, the arguments within in terms of race, culture, the "West", "White man" and history, are fundamental and poignant. The text is divided into four parts: The Psychological Reactions of Oppressed People; Tradition and Industrialization; The Literature of Negro in the United States; and The Miracle of Nationalism in the African Gold Coast. Each chapter was well articulated, profound and easily understood.
I can only speak for myself but i found his second chapter to be the most fundamental. It spoke to me. In the first chapter, Wright argued that although he is black, he is a western man. As a Western man therefore, he questions Western Whites need for tribal peoples to maintain their traditions in lieu of the more educated colonized minority. He argues that it is because "the colonizer" hates the educated indigenous population, because these minorities are a threat to his power or control over "the means of productions" and resources. If the superstitions are honoured and deemed worthy through "white eyes" then there is more of a chance that the whites will hold there power and seat in the economy of those countries. He compares this need to keep traditions as irrational. He believes once the gold coast is "modernized" that the need to keep traditions will fall by the way side and a truly modern state would arrive.
I can only speak for myself but i found his second chapter to be the most fundamental. It spoke to me. In the first chapter, Wright argued that although he is black, he is a western man. As a Western man therefore, he questions Western Whites need for tribal peoples to maintain their traditions in lieu of the more educated colonized minority. He argues that it is because "the colonizer" hates the educated indigenous population, because these minorities are a threat to his power or control over "the means of productions" and resources. If the superstitions are honoured and deemed worthy through "white eyes" then there is more of a chance that the whites will hold there power and seat in the economy of those countries. He compares this need to keep traditions as irrational. He believes once the gold coast is "modernized" that the need to keep traditions will fall by the way side and a truly modern state would arrive.
February 21, 2022
Cuatro ensayos de este muy difícil de encotrar ejemplar. Las reacciones psicológicas de los pueblos oprimidos; Tradición e Industrialización; La literatura del negro en Estados Unidos; y El milagro del nacionalismo en la Costa de Oro africana.
Escritos después de la primera cumbre Africana-Asiática, Conferencia Bandung, en Indonesia en abril de 1955, Wright busca esclarecer para el hombre blanco aspectos de las culturas africanas y asiáticas que no acaban de entender.
Hoy “la expresión del negro norteamericano” sigue tratando “temas estrictamente raciales”. Wright predijo hace sesenta y cinco años que si ese fuese el caso, “entonces sabrán ustedes que estamos sufriendo nuestras antiguas torturas a manos de nuestros vecinos norteamericanos blancos.”
Este libro esclareció conceptos importantes de las consecuencias de la colonización occidental de países africanos. Muchos blancos siguen sin entender que las reacciones contra el racismo de parte de muchos seres humanos de color son exactamente las mismas que ellos hubiesen tenido de haber sufrido lo que la gente de color vivió y sigue viviendo en Norteamérica.
Es una perspectiva indispensable para entender la situación actual en cuanto a diversidad, inclusión y equidad.
Escritos después de la primera cumbre Africana-Asiática, Conferencia Bandung, en Indonesia en abril de 1955, Wright busca esclarecer para el hombre blanco aspectos de las culturas africanas y asiáticas que no acaban de entender.
Hoy “la expresión del negro norteamericano” sigue tratando “temas estrictamente raciales”. Wright predijo hace sesenta y cinco años que si ese fuese el caso, “entonces sabrán ustedes que estamos sufriendo nuestras antiguas torturas a manos de nuestros vecinos norteamericanos blancos.”
Este libro esclareció conceptos importantes de las consecuencias de la colonización occidental de países africanos. Muchos blancos siguen sin entender que las reacciones contra el racismo de parte de muchos seres humanos de color son exactamente las mismas que ellos hubiesen tenido de haber sufrido lo que la gente de color vivió y sigue viviendo en Norteamérica.
Es una perspectiva indispensable para entender la situación actual en cuanto a diversidad, inclusión y equidad.
May 29, 2011
In this brief volume, Mr. Wright does three things: First, he presents a brilliant history and analysis of the oppression of nonwhites and its effects; next, he delves into the literature of the Negro in the United States; and finally, he offers a history of how Kwame Nkrumah came to power in what became Ghana.
Parts two and three are not memorable, but the book is worth reading for the first part alone.
Parts two and three are not memorable, but the book is worth reading for the first part alone.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews