Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin In The Sun was the first play by an African American women to be performed on Broadway (1951). Today is the first of the month – the rent is due – and scenes about a family struggling with money in a shoddy apartment like those in this play are likely playing out across the country. The play is based on Lorraine’s family’s own experience with racial living restrictions which lead to a Supreme Court case ultimately decided in their favor in 1940.
A Raisin In The Sun, like all great works, covers a range of emotions: it’s poignant, funny, infuriating and touching. The search for identity for siblings Walter and Beneatha is deeply moving. Their mother’s character is fully formed: wise, sacrificing and tough loving. The Broadway production won four Tony awards. Lorraine Hansberry adapted the play for the powerful 1961 film, starring Ruby Dee and Sidney Poitier, which brought her work worldwide attention.
Here is a poignant scene of the two from the film:
A Raisin In The Sun is one of only two plays Lorraine Hansberry produced for the stage in her lifetime, before her tragic and untimely death from cancer at age 34. Her collected works inspired the play and book entitled To Be Young, Gifted And Black. Nina Simone wrote the beautiful song “To Be Young, Gifted and Black” in 1969 in her memory. Here’s a wonderful live video of Nina and the band in action:
Aretha Franklin recorded that song for her Top 10 record of the same name in 1972.
There’s not many TV interviews of Lorraine Hansberry. One captivating discussion that does exist is entitled “The Black Experience In Drama.”
What originally spurred my interest in her work was her powerful words in this incredible 1961 roundtable on New York’s WBAI with James Baldwin, Langston Hughes, Emile Capouya, Alfred Kazin.
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