While Wright was a member of the Communist Party and did benefit from some of the programs associated with the Depression-era New Deal, he did not receive direct funding or support from the FWP. The FWP was primarily focused on documenting American history and culture, often through oral histories and interviews, and employing writers to produce guides and other materials for libraries and schools.
Wright's path to writing was more individual. He worked as a laborer and lived in poverty, experiencing firsthand the discrimination and hardship faced by African Americans. His literary talent blossomed through self-study and writing workshops, and he found success through his own efforts, publishing his work in magazines and eventually securing a book deal.
However, the FWP did play a role in the development of the African American literary scene during that period. It provided opportunities for writers like Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, and Sterling Brown to contribute to the cultural documentation and gain recognition for their work. These writers, along with Wright, contributed to the Harlem Renaissance and the broader literary movement in the 1930s.