Lorraine Hansberry (May 19, 1930 - January 12, 1965) was an American playwright and litigant in the United States Supreme Court case, Hansberry v. Lee. Born in Chicago, Illinois, Hansberry was the youngest of four children of Carl Augustus Hansberry (a prominent real estate broker) and Nannie Perry Hansberry. She grew up on the south side of Chicago in the Woodlawn neighborhood.

 A Raisin in the Sun
March 11, 2002 -- On March 11, 1959, at the Broadway opening of the play A Raisin in the Sun, author Lorraine Hansberry and producer Philip Rose took their seats in the fourth row of the Ethel Barrymore Theatre without the anticipation of success. More :

Understanding the Playwright: Remind students that writers do not write in a vacuum, but that much of their creativity has its roots in personal experiences. Lorraine Hansberry is no exception. The daughter of Carl and Nannie Hansberry, Lorraine grew up in a successful black family where both of her parents were political activists campaigning against Jim Crow laws.

Why a Dream Deferred? Tell students that the preface to A Raisin in the Sun is the poem "Montage to a Dream Deferred" from the EDSITEment reviewed Learner.org site by Langston Hughes. Ask the students: What is the purpose of a preface? Why do you think Hansberry chose this poem as her preface?

Jim Crow Laws: The Jim Crow Laws were state and local laws enacted in the Southern and border states of the United States and enforced between 1876 and 1965. They mandated "separate but equal" status for black Americans. In reality, this led to treatment and accommodations that were almost always inferior to those provided to white Americans. The Jim Crow period or the Jim Crow era refers to the time during which this practice occurred. The most important laws required that public schools, public places and public transportation, like trains and buses, have separate facilities for whites and blacks.[more] ♪

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