By Tyler Ariniello

Willis Richardson was born on November 5, Willis Richardson died 2 days after his 88 th birthday on November 7, 1977.

He was a son of Willis Wilder and Agnes Ann Richardson. He and his family moved to Washington D.C. after the Wilmington Riots in He attended public schools in Washington D.C. and later attended Dunbar high school. There he was encouraged to write plays by Mary P. Burrell.

On September 1 st, 1914 he married a woman named Ellen Jones. Later they produced 3 children. Their names and date of birth are 1 st Jean Paula Richardson she was born on August 7 th, nd was Shirley Antonella Richardson she was born on April 29 th, rd was Noel Justine Richardson he was born on August 14 th, 1920.

Willis Richardson had a job as a play writer. In 1921 his first play to go on stage was “Deacons Awakening.” It was first presented to the public at Saint Paul, Minnesota. This was followed by the following year “The Chip Woman’s Fortune.” The play was produced by Raymond O'Neil's Ethiopian Art Players in Chicago, Washington, D.C., and became the first non-musical production by an African American on Broadway. His play Mortgaged was presented in 1923 by the Howard Players at Howard University.

He was most well known for his plays he wrote. Also on how popular they were.

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