Lorraine Hansberry Biography
Lorraine Hansberry was born at Provident Hospital on the South Side of Chicago on May 19, She was the youngest of Nannie Perry Hansberry and Carl Augustus Hansberry’s four children. Her father founded Lake Street Bank, one of the first banks for blacks in Chicago, and ran a successful real estate business. Her uncle was William Leo Hansberry, a scholar of African studies at Howard University in Washington, D.C.
Many prominent African American social and political leaders visited the Hansberry household during Lorraine’s childhood including sociology professor W.E.B. DuBois, poet Langston Hughes, actor and political activist Paul Robeson, musician Duke Ellington and Olympic gold medalist Jesse Owens.
Despite their middle-class status, the Hansberrys were subject to segregation. When she was 8 years old, Hansberry’s family deliberately attempted to move into a restricted neighborhood. Restrictive covenants, in which white property owners agreed not to sell to blacks, created a ghetto known as the “Black Belt” on Chicago’s South Side. Carl Hansberry, with the help of Harry H. Pace, president of the Supreme Liberty Life Insurance Company and several
Lorraine Hansberry
Early Life
Born on the 19th of May in , in Chicago, Illinois, Lorraine Hansberry was a bright daughter of Carl Augustus Hansberry, a political activist, while her mother, Nannie Louise, was a schoolteacher. Due to racial differences, Lorraine and her family faced racism when she was just eight. Their white neighbors tried their best to make them move. Although many people vacated their houses due to racial discrimination, her brave father refused to surrender and faced the communal wrath with courage.
Education
Lorraine Hansberry, a great literary figure, started her educational journey from Betsy Ross Elementary School where she completed her graduation in followed by another degree in from Englewood High School. Later, she joined the University of Wisconsin, Madison, where she got engaged in politics. She joined The Communist Party of America and provided her commendable services in the Henry A Wallace’s Campaign in Besides being active in politics, she pursued her other interests, too, as in , she studied arts and painting at the University of Guadalajara, Mexico. By , she decided to pursue writing as a career and went to New York. There, she joined T
Hansberry, Lorraine
(Full name Lorraine Vivian Hansberry) American dramatist and essayist.
For additional information on Hansberry's career, see BLC, Ed. 1
INTRODUCTION
With her play A Raisin in the Sun (), Hansberry became the first African American and the youngest woman to ever win the prestigious New York Drama Critics Circle Award. A drama as much about class as race, the work traces the experiences of a black, blue-collar family whose members decide to move into a white neighborhood. The play's popularity proved that theatergoing audiences, Broadway producers, and critics alike were ready for dramas by and about African Americans to be a part of the New York theater scene. A Raisin in the Sun was, however, criticized by some militant blacks for what they viewed as assimilationist themes. Following the phenomenal success of A Raisin in the Sun, Hansberry continued to work as a dramatist and also wrote a collection of essays, though A Raisin in the Sun overshadowed the rest of her work throughout her short life.
BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
Born in into a south-side Chicago neighborhood to middle-class parents, Hansberry described her early childhood as an insu
In , Lorraine Hansberry made history as the first African American woman to have a show produced on Broadway—A Raisin in the Sun. As a playwright, feminist, and racial justice activist, Hansberry never shied away from tough topics during her short and extraordinary life.
Lorraine Hansberry was born on May 19, at Provident Hospital on the South Side of Chicago. She was raised in a strong family, the youngest of three children born to Nannie Perry Hansberry and Carl Augustus Hansberry. Her father, Carl, founded Lake Street Bank, one of the first banks for African Americans in Chicago and also ran a successful real estate business. Her mother, Nannie, was a school teacher. Hansberry had other African American leaders in her family: her uncle William Leo Hansberry was a Professor of History at Howard University; her cousin, Shauneille Perry, was one of the first African American women to direct off-Broadway. Hansberry’s father died of a cerebral hemorrhage when she was
Growing up on the South Side of Chicago, Hansberry and her family were involved in the racial justice movements of the era. Her parents were prominent members of the African American community and her father work
Biographies you may also like
Moni aizik wiki For decades, Moni Aizik, a special forces veteran and the mastermind behind CKM, has dissected violence and street confrontations to create an unparalleled system. It’s lean, mean, and Missing: wiki.
Herminigildo flores biography of mahatma Mahatma Gandhi () was the leader of India's non-violent independence movement against British colonial rule. Born in Porbandar, India, Gandhi studied law and .
Jaap penraat biography of barack The history of the Penraat Family has been a difficult one. From Jaap Penraat's daring efforts to rescue Jews from Nazi occupied Holland and Jettie Penraat's years in Japanese POW camps .
Incredible dr pol biography Explore Dr. Pol's biography, personal life, family and real age. Discover the real story, facts, and details of Dr. Pol.
Reese witherspoon family ex-husband After 11 years of marriage, Reese Witherspoon and her husband, Jim Toth, announced on Friday that they are getting divorced. In a statement shared with her 29 million .
Valerie vaughn biography Valerie Vaughn Bio: Valerie’s process started in Cameroon, West Africa, where she was conceived. In , she took the critical action to the US in the wake of finishing her .