Summary
A captivating portrait of Lorraine Hansberry's life, art, and political activism In this first scholarly biography of Lorraine Hansberry (1930-1965), the author of A Raisin in the Sun, theater professor Soyica Diggs Colbert considers the playwright's life at the intersection of art and politics, with the theater operating as a "rehearsal room for [her] political and intellectual work." Colbert argues that the success of Raisin overshadows Hansberry's other contributions, including the writer's innovative journalism and lesser known plays touching on controversial issues such as slavery, interracial communities, and black freedom movements. Colbert also details Hansberry's unique involvement in the black freedom struggles during the Cold War and the early civil rights movement, in order to paint a full portrait of her life and impact. Drawing from Hansberry's papers, speeches, and interviews, this book presents its subject as both a playwright and a political activist. It also reveals a new perspective on the roles of black women in mid-twentieth-century political movements.
Contents
Frontmatter
Contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction: Notes of a Native Daughter
Chapter 1 Practices of Freedom
Chapter 2 The Shaping Force of A Raisin in the Sun
Chapter 3 Origins: Black Radicalism as a Shapeshifting Pursuit
Chapter 4 The Movement
Chapter 5 From Liberals to Radicals
Chapter 6 With Her Mind Stayed on Freedom
Epilogue: Alternative Endings
Notes
Index