Zephyr Wright

Zephyr Wright (née Zephyr Black; 1915 – April 25, 1988) was an African-American civil rights activist and personal chef for President Lyndon B. Johnson and First Lady Lady Bird Johnson from 1942 until 1969. Wright was an influence of the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 because she had communicated her experiences living under Jim Crow laws to Johnson, which were later shared by Johnson with other influential lawmakers.

Wright grew up in Marshall, Texas. She attended Wiley College, where she studied Home Economics. At Wiley, Wright took classes from professor and activist Melvin B. Tolson, who inspired her to become engaged with the civil rights movement.

In September 1942, after receiving a recommendation from Wiley College president Dr. Matthew Dogan, Lady Bird Johnson hired Wright as a cook for herself and then-representative Lyndon Johnson.

Wright accompanied Mrs. Johnson and another newly hired staff member, John Hickey, on their drive to Washington, D.C. The three had difficulty finding restaurants and hotels throughout the trip since segregated establishments often refused to serve Wright and Hickey. Wright said about the journey in a 1974 interview that she was often asked to enter restaurants through the kitchen or eat outside, but always refused, stating: "I felt that if I wasn't wanted, I wouldn't go. I felt happier not going."

When Wright moved with the president's family to Washington, D.C., several hotels in the Southern United States refused to let her stay because she was black. When Lyndon Johnson was senator, Wright refused to drive to Austin, Texas, with him, telling him: "When Sammy and I drive to Texas and I have to go to the bathroom, like Lady Bird or the girls, I am not allowed to go to the bathroom. I have to find a bush and squat. When it comes time to eat, we can't go into restaurants. We have to eat out of a brown bag. And at night, Sammy sleeps in the front of the car with the steering wheel around his neck, while I sleep in the back. We are not going to do it again."

During Johnson's presidency, Wright credits many of the racially charged experiences she and her husband experienced to describe the Johnson families' energy towards improving the rights and experiences of Black Americans.

President Johnson often asked Wright's opinion of his legislative actions and appointments. Wright recalled one instance in 1967:

One day he came home, and he said, "Oh, do you see that I have appointed the first Negro to the Supreme Court?" I said, "Oh! Has it gone through?" And he said, "Well, no, but I'm sure it will. I've appointed him." That was referring to his appointment [Thurgood] Marshall to the Supreme Court.