Lorraine Hansberry

Sonia Potter (University of Akron)

Ed. by Patrick Chura, University of Akron
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 3.2.5: African American Writing and Culture of the United States.
Vol. editors: Philathia Bolton (University of Akron), Patrick Chura (University of Akron), Emory Elliott (University of California, Riverside), A Yemisi Jimoh (University of Massachusetts Amherst), Stephen E. Meats (Pittsburg State University)

Dates

Born 19 May 1930
Died 12 Jan 1965
Activity 1950-1965

Places

Born in United States
Active in United States

Cultural Identities

Activities

Primary

Letter-writer/ Diarist
Playwright / Dramatist

Resources

Lorraine Hansberry was born Black, female, and lesbian on May 19, 1930, on the South Side of Chicago where—despite her family’s middle-class status—poverty, racism, segregation, mob violence, and overcrowding circumscribed her world. She was the youngest by seven years of the four children of Nannie Hansberry, a teacher and ward leader, and Carl Hansberry, a civil rights activist and real estate entrepreneur. Both of Lorraine’s parents were college educated. Her uncle, William Leo Hansberry, was a scholar and lecturer widely known for his contributions to African diaspora studies.

She grew up in a home where guests included Black lawyers, physicians, activists, intellectuals, businessmen, and the famous …

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2279 words

Citation: Potter, Sonia. "Lorraine Hansberry". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 14 October 2021 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=1973, accessed 21 November 2024.]

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