The Booker Wright Project: My Greenwood

About This Blog

In the summer of 2007 I decided that I wanted to learn more about my grandfather, a man named Mack “Booker” Wright. My hope was that learning about his life would help me to better understand some things about my family. Through my research I learned that my grandfather appeared in a powerful film about civil rights in 1966, owned his own restaurant called Booker's Place, and that he was one of the most respected black men in Greenwood, MS before his murder in 1973.

In the spring of 2011 I was contacted by a couple of filmmakers who wanted to revisit the 1966 documentary by making one of their own. This blog chronicles the story of how a home school mom went on a simple genealogical journey, made a feature length documentary, and learned some hard truths about herself along the way.

People to Know

Kat, Katherine, or Cassie

My mom and Booker Wright's daughter.

Vera

My aunt and Booker Wright's daughter.

Margurite

Booker's half sister.

Rosie Turner

Booker's mother.

Willie Wright

The man who raised Booker Wright.

Leroy

My dad.

Doris or Grandma Cooley

Booker Wright's wife. They divorced after only a few years of marriage.

M.W.

Booker Wright's companion of approximately 20 years. They were still together when he was murdered.

Wilma

My aunt. She's married to Leroy's brother, Roosevelt.

Edna

Leroy's sister and my aunt.

Raymond De Felitta

Ray is directing the documentary about Booker Wright.

David Zellerford

David is producing the documentary that we're making.

Pages

My Greenwood