Booker Wright was an African American waiter in Greenwood, Mississippi, who gained national attention after appearing in the 1966 NBC documentary Mississippi: A Self-Portrait. In the film, he spoke candidly about the racism he endured while working as a waiter at Lusco’s, a white-owned restaurant, while also running his own business, Booker’s Place, a café that served Black customers.
His appearance in the documentary was groundbreaking but came at a great cost. After the film aired, he faced severe backlash from the white community. He was beaten by police, lost his job at Lusco’s, and his business was targeted.
In 1973, Booker Wright was tragically shot and killed at his café. The official story was that he was murdered by a man named Leroy Gibson over a money dispute, but some believe his killing was linked to retaliation for his statements in the documentary.
His legacy was later revisited in the 2012 documentary Booker’s Place: A Mississippi Story, directed by Raymond De Felitta and co-produced by Wright’s granddaughter, Yvette Johnson. It explored his courage and the impact of his words on civil rights history.
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