Lorraine hansberry biography video about helen

Lorraine Hansberry(also known as: Lorraine Vivian Hansberry), born May 19, 1930 in Chicago, Illinois - died January 12, 1965 in New York, New York is an African-American playwright.


Lorraine Hansberryis an African American writer who achieved a number of important firsts during her short life; she was the first black woman to write a play that was produced on Broadway as well as the first black and youngest woman to win the New York Drama Critics Circle Award.

This play, titled A Raisin in the Sun, was also the first Broadway play to be directed by an African American--Lloyd Richards--in over fifty years. During her short life, Hansberry completed two plays and left three others uncompleted; a sixth piece would be assembled after her death from excerpts from her writings.

Although she only lived until the age of thirty-four, her achievements helped to pave the way for other African Americans who wanted their plays to be produced.

Hansbe