Discover the Unforgettable: Top 11 Fun Facts About Lorraine Hansberry You Never Knew!

1. Breaking Bad: Hansberry Edition

Who knew the Hansberry family had the original 'Breaking Bad' spirit, just in property law style? Armed with a law book instead of a hazmat suit, they dared to cross into uncharted territory: Lorraine Hansberry's parents fought against restrictive housing covenants by moving into an all-white neighborhood, later suing and triumphing in the landmark case of Hansberry v. Lee, which abolished legal housing discrimination in the United States.
Source => womenshistory.org

2. Hansberry & Kennedy: Civil Rights Crusaders

When Lorraine Hansberry wasn't busy A Raisin' in the Sun or pushing up daisies: She joined forces with James Baldwin in 1963 to meet Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, helping to improve race relations in the United States and influencing Kennedy's outlook on the Civil Rights Movement.
Source => bard.org

Did you know Zora Neale Hurston's play celebrating Black culture made its Broadway debut in 1932? Discover more about The Great Day and its fascinating journey!

=> Fun Facts about Zora-Neale-Hurston

3. Scoopin’ Justice: Lorraine's Journalism Days

Before she made A Raisin in the Sun a sizzling sensation on Broadway, Lorraine Hansberry was dishing out hot scoops and serving social justice realness at a Harlem magazine– with a sprinkle of poetic prowess on the side: As a journalist for Freedom, she covered stories on over 100 pro-Communist black women convening in Washington, DC and the high-profile case of Willie McGee, even penning a poem titled "Lynchsong" based on his story, fueling her lifelong journey of masterful storytelling and inspiring activism.
Source => lhlt.org

4. Hansberry x Baldwin: Literary Besties

Move over Ross and Rachel, we've got a new bestie duo in town: Lorraine Hansberry and James Baldwin were friendship goals back in 1958! These two literary heavyweights didn't just swap jokes and recipes, but rather dived deep into activism and changed the world one word at a time. Now for the serious tea: Lorraine leaned more towards ideology and social theory, while James was a straight shooter committed to good ol' honesty. And in a juicy plot twist, both of them were secretly exploring their sexuality – Lorraine as a closeted lesbian and James, while not identifying as gay, was known to fall in love with boys.
Source => buzzfeednews.com

5. Revolutionary Raisins: Groundbreaking Film

Who knew that raisins could be so revolutionary? Lorraine Hansberry's play, A Raisin in the Sun, defied the laws of theatrical gravity, transforming its wrinkly contents into a star-studded Hollywood movie: This groundbreaking film adaptation not only starred the iconic Sidney Poitier, but also marked the first time a major Hollywood production had an African American director, Daniel Petrie, and an African American leading actor, Sidney Poitier, a dynamic duo that sweetened the taste of history.
Source => womenshistory.org

6. Romancing the Communist: Lorraine's Muse

Lorraine Hansberry must have told Chicago's South Side: "I'll have what he's having!" as she channeled her rom-com-esque fascination for an artsy Communist: This playwright extraordinaire found inspiration in conversations with Joseph Elbein, a fellow University of Chicago student and ardent socialist, which ultimately shaped her thought-provoking and socially conscious writing style.
Source => southsideweekly.com

7. Life Imitating Art: A Raisin in the Sun's Origins

In a delightful case of life imitating art, or rather, art imitating life, Lorraine Hansberry's play "A Raisin in the Sun" was a stage adaptation of her family's courtroom drama, where her father, Carl, played the leading role in this real-life soap opera fighting against housing discrimination: As a result of Carl's perseverance, his battle against racially restrictive housing covenants in Chicago led to a Supreme Court case that ultimately influenced and inspired Lorraine's creation of this famous play.
Source => lagcc-cuny.digication.com

8. When Life Gives You Lemons, Inspire Nina Simone

Taking lemons and making lemonade of life: Lorraine Hansberry masterfully battled her health issues and showed up to inspire a group of young, gifted, and black national writing contest winners, unknowingly contributing to the creation of a soul-stirring Nina Simone song by the same title.
Source => pbs.org

9. Playwrights and Protestors: Civil Rights VIP

Lorraine Hansberry: star of the Playwrights and Protestors Network, rubbing elbows and inking headlines alongside a who's who of civil rights VIPs – a story so epic, she probably should have been writing the prequel to The Avengers! In all seriousness: Hansberry was a notable writer and activist, working at the Freedom newspaper with the likes of W. E. B. Du Bois and Paul Robeson, championing both the US civil rights movement and global anti-imperialist and anti-colonial struggles, as well as focusing on gender equality and incorporating her staunch atheism and humanist views into her acclaimed work, A Raisin in the Sun.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

10. Lemon Playwright: Confusing the FBI

When life gives you lemons, grab a pen and write a play: Lorraine Hansberry not only won audiences over with her groundbreaking play A Raisin in the Sun, but also managed to confuse the FBI when they fruitlessly searched her work for communist propaganda, even earning praise from one agent who admired her literary prowess.
Source => hcagrads.hypotheses.org

11. Forget Cinderella, Lorraine is The Theater Queen

Move over Cinderella, there's a new theater queen in town, and she doesn't need a prince or a glass slipper to make history: Lorraine Hansberry became the first African American female author to have a play performed on Broadway, winning the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award at just 29 years old with her groundbreaking work, A Raisin in the Sun, etching her name in the world of dramaturgy – and all without a fairy godmother!
Source => en.wikipedia.org