Lorraine Hansberry
Lorraine Hansberry was an African American playwright and writer. She was best known for her play 'A Raisin in the Sun', which was the first play written by an African American woman to be produced on Broadway. Her work often dealt with the struggles of black families and the experiences of black people in America. Hansberry's writing and activism were significant in the civil rights movement, and her legacy continues to influence writers and thinkers today.
Books
This list of books are ONLY the books that have been ranked on the lists that are aggregated on this site. This is not a comprehensive list of all books by this author.
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1. A Raisin In The Sun
The play explores the dreams and struggles of a Black family living on Chicago's South Side in the 1950s. When the family receives a $10,000 insurance check after the father's death, each member has different ideas about how to use the money. The mother wishes to buy a house to fulfill her late husband's dream of providing a better home for the family, while her son wants to invest in a liquor store to secure their financial future. The daughter seeks to use part of the money for her medical school tuition. Their conflicting aspirations and the pervasive racism of the era put a strain on the family's unity and values, as they strive to find their place in a world that often seems to work against them.
The 1017th Greatest Book of All Time -
2. To Be Young, Gifted, And Black
The book is a posthumously published autobiography in the form of a montage of the late playwright's personal writings, letters, interviews, and journal entries. It offers an intimate look into the life of a trailblazing African American woman who navigated the complexities of identity, race, and gender in mid-20th-century America. Through her eloquent and passionate prose, the book captures the spirit of the Civil Rights Movement and the author's own struggles and triumphs as she became the first black woman to have a play performed on Broadway. It serves as an inspiring testament to her enduring legacy and the power of the written word to challenge societal norms.
The 4904th Greatest Book of All Time
