University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections6431 (Accession No. 6431-001)Wright, HaroldHarold Wright
papers1981-20161986-20102.93 cubic feet (3 boxes and 1 oversize vertical
file)Collection materials are in
English.Materials from
the career of an electrical contractor, author, activist, and community leader
in Seattle, WashingtonHarold Wright is an electrical contractor, author, activist, and
community leader in Seattle, Washington. Wright was born in New York but grew
up in Virginia. After graduating from high school and spending three years in
the United States Marine Corps, Wright completed electrical apprenticeship
training in New York City. He worked as a journeyman electrician from
1960-1972. Wright moved to Seattle in 1966 and started his own independent
electrical contractor firm, Wright, Inc., in 1972. Wright is a co-founder of
the Seattle Model City's Economic Task Force, the United Construction Workers
Association (UCWA), the Central Contractors Association (CCA), the Community
Coalition for Contracts and Jobs (CCCJ), and the Black Builders Association
(BBA). In addition, Wright has authored numerous books about his activism and
Black history, including Freedom ,
Reconstruction , Pain
Inflicted by a Nation , Light Rail in the
Valley , and Radiant .
Adapted from http://www.booksbywright.com/about-harold.html
Arranged in 3 series.
- SERIES I, JOB BIDS, 1986-2010
- Subseries A: Sound Transit Bids, approximately 1997-2010
- Subseries B: Bids at Other Agencies,approximately 1986-1995
- SERIES II, RESEARCH, DATA COLLECTION, AND BOOK MATERIALS,
1981-2016
- SERIES III, COALITIONS AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, 1986-2010
- Subseries A: Black Builders Association, approximately
2002-2010
- Subseries B: Central Contractors Association, approximately
1986-2006
- Subseries C: Community Coalition for Contracts and Jobs,
approximately 2000-2007
Each grouping is arranged chronologically.
Materials from Harold Wright’s career as an electrical contractor,
activist, and community leader. The collections includes research materials
from Wright’s books Reconstruction, and Light Rail in the Valley. This
collection would be of particular interest to researchers interested in
Black-owned small businesses, construction, transportation, public transit, and
African Americans in Seattle.
No restrictions on access.
Request at UW
To the extent that they own the copyright, the donor has transferred
the copyright of the materials to the University of Washington; however,
copyright in some items in this collection may be held by their respective
creators. Users are responsible for researching copyright status before
use.
Forms part of the Labor Archives of Washington.
Donated by Harold Wright in 2022.
Wright's author website has been regularly captured by the Internet
Archive Wayback Machine since 2023. The snapshots can be viewed here
https://wayback.archive-it.org/3988/20230411211252/http://www.booksbywright.com/ .
Personal Papers/Corporate Records (University of Washington)Labor Archives of Washington (University of Washington)Labor UnionsLabor HistoryAfrican AmericansSeattle
SERIES IJOB BIDS1986-2010Subseries ASound Transit Bidsapproximately
1997-20101/1Binder: Sound Transit Disadvantaged Business
Enterprise Programapproximately
1997-20001/2Link Light Rail Bids and Press1999-20021/3Sound Transit Correspondence and Light Rail
Information2000,
20031/4Wright, Incorporated and Sound Transit
Brochuresapproximately
20021/5Sound Transit Diversityapproximately
2004-20071/6Legal Correspondence and Sound Transit Staff
Reports2005-20071/7Assorted CD'sapproximately
20061/8Sound Transit Board of Directors
Information20071/9Binder: Sound Transit Procurements [1 of
2]2008-20101/10Binder: Sound Transit Procurements [2 of
2]2008-2010Subseries BBids at Other Agenciesapproximately
1986-19951/11Boeing Job Bids [1 of 2]approximately
1986-19871/12Boeing Job Bids [2 of 2]approximately
1986-19871/13Todd Pacific Shipyards Bidsapproximately
1995SERIES IIRESEARCH, DATA COLLECTION, AND BOOK MATERIALS1981-20161/14Lockheed Program Office Building Plan19811/15Mike Zook Daily Journal1985-19951/16Data on Disadvantaged Businessesapproximately
19861/17News Articles and Research About Minority Contractor
Discriminationapproximately
1989-19951/18Binder: News Articles and Letters about Racial
Discriminationapproximately
1987-19911/19Notesapproximately
19891/20Binder: Data and Articles on Race [1 of 2]approximately
1990-19911/21Binder: Data and Articles on Race [1 of 2]approximately
1990-19911/22Assorted News Articlesapproximately
1990-20061/23News Articles About Minority-Owned
Contractors1991-1999,
20061/24University of Washington Health Sciences Building
Floorplans19931/25Binder: Court Documents and Legal Correspondence [1 of
2]approximately
1994-20031/26Binder: Court Documents and Legal Correspondence [2 of
2]approximately
1994-20031/27Binder: Contractors Development and Competitiveness
Center [1 of 2]approximately
1996-20031/28Binder: Contractors Development and Competitiveness
Center [2 of 2]approximately
1996-20031/29Daily Journal1998-20032/1African American Business Directory (Seattle, Wash.).
1999. Seattle, WA: Black Dollar Days Task Force.19992/2Black Construction Workers Association
Materialsapproximately
2001-20042/3Minority-Owned Firms Article2003 June 52/4Pentagon Electric CD's2003 June
122/5Binder: Pentagon Electricapproximately
20032/6Binder: Pentagon Electric Fax Filesapproximately
20032/7Port of Seattle Correspondence and Articlesapproximately
2003-20112/8Legal Correspondence2004-2007OSVF0230Light Rail in the Valley Manuscript and Press
Release20112/9Title VI Complaintsapproximately
2013-20142/10Wright Harold and Shelley Lynn Wright. 2016.
Reconstruction : 1866 through 1880 Divided by Foolishness Hatred & Greed :
Another National Failure a Collection of Un-Talked About Information. Seattle
Washington: Classic Day Publishing.2016SERIES IIICOALITIONS AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS1986-2010Subseries ABlack Builders Associationapproximately
2002-20102/11Black Builders Association Meeting Minutes,
Correspondence [1 of 3]approximately
2002-20092/12Black Builders Association Meeting Minutes,
Correspondence [2 of 3]approximately
2002-20092/13Black Builders Association Meeting Minutes,
Correspondence [3 of 3]approximately
2002-20092/14Binder: Black Builders Association Meeting Minutes,
Outreach [1 of 2]approximately
2008-20102/15Binder: Black Builders Association Meeting Minutes,
Outreach [2 of 2]approximately
2008-2010Subseries BCentral Contractors Associationapproximately
1986-20062/16Central Contractors Association Articles and
Correspondenceapproximately
1986-19872/17Central Contractors Association Minutes19872/18Binder: Central Contractors Association General File
[1 of 4]approximately
1986-19902/19Binder: Central Contractors Association General File
[2 of 4]approximately
1986-19902/20Binder: Central Contractors Association General File
[3 of 4]approximately
1986-19902/21Binder: Central Contractors Association General File
[4 of 4]approximately
1986-19902/22Binder: Central Contractors Associationapproximately
1988-19953/1Central Contractors Association Financial
Recordsapproximately
1991Subseries CCommunity Coalition for Contracts and Jobsapproximately
2000-20073/2Community Coalition for Contracts and Jobs
Implementation Committee [1 of 2]approximately
2000-20073/3Community Coalition for Contracts and Jobs
Implementation Committee [2 of 2]approximately
2000-20073/4Binder: Community Coalition for Contracts and Jobs [1
of 2]approximately
2004-20063/5Binder: Community Coalition for Contracts and Jobs [2
of 2]approximately
2004-20063/6Binder: Community Coalition for Contracts and Jobs [1
of 2]approximately
2005-20063/7Binder: Community Coalition for Contracts and Jobs [2
of 2]approximately
2005-20063/8Community Coalition for Contracts and Jobs Appeal and
Claims Procedureapproximately
2006-2007