Racial Segregation, By Lorraine Hansberry - 1248 Words

â€Å"Seems like God don’t see fit to give the black man nothing but dreams – but He did give us children to make the dreams seem worthwhile,† once stated by Lorraine Hansberry. Racial segregation has been a huge topic in our society. Believe it or not, just a few decades ago African American people did not have the basic equality rights that white citizens were given. Something as simple as having a dream to become an author seemed out of reach; even impossible some might have said. Living in this kind of a world was unfortunately a reality for Lorraine Hansberry. Growing up she lived in a world of racial segregation and not being giving the same opportunities as fellow white citizens in the United States. Throughout her life civil rights was a major influence for her. Hansberry was able to express the unwavering need for civil rights through her literature. Her poems and plays showed the unjust treatment of African Americans. She was able to make a difference in her own life, as well as the lives of her audience through her portrayal of pre-civil rights. With this in mind, Lorraine Hansberry was a major author, playwright, and activist during the Harlem Renaissance. The Harlem Renaissance was a time of rebirth and renewal for the African American peoples. The African American peoples would express themselves through music, writing, and art all through an autobiographical standpoint. Because of the Harlem Renaissance, the African American society was changed forever. TheShow MoreRelatedEssay on Who Am I?: Racial Identity in A Raisin in the Sun1596 Words   |  7 PagesHowever, it was not until late childhood, while visiting my father on weekends, that I began to differentiate between my friends and myself. Maybe the piercing stares and turned heads at the neighborhood market led to this discovery. Or perhaps the racial epithets exchanged in anger between childhood friends made the differences obvious. But, more than anything else, I attr ibute my discovery to the disparaging nickname given to me. They referred to me as â€Å"Casper.† Yes, I am white ¬Ã‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ¢â‚¬â€œchalk white, milkRead MoreRacial Injustice in A Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry and Sonny’s Blues, by James Baldwin1494 Words   |  6 Pagesinferiority, Jim Crow law, segregation, racial terror, and racial inequality are the most common topics of American history. The quote of Martin Luther King Jr asserts the truth that racial injustice was in the vein of the American dream. He hopes someday that injustice, the view that African Americans are inferior will go away, and they will be treated equally like a full human being. The theme of racial injustice is prevalent in both â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun† by Lorraine Hansberry and â€Å"Sonny’s Blues† byRead MoreThe Groundbreaking Movement. What Did An International1223 Words   |  5 Pagesartists that benefited from this social movement were Langston Hughe s, Countee Cullens, Margaret Walker, James Baldwin, Alice Walker, and Lorraine Hansberry. However, these are just a very minute percentage of the art population. For these artists, Morgan believed that â€Å"Social Realism became the vanguard in the African American struggle for equality and racial injustice in the Depression Era in America, and perhaps it has been (476). She also suggests that the way they elected to express themselves:Read MoreRacial Identity in A Raisin in the Sun: Who Am I?1102 Words   |  5 Pagesthat I started to differentiate between my friends and myself, and my father’s home and my home. The realization I was different may have come about because of the piercing stares and turned heads at the neighborhood market. Or perhaps it was the racial epithets exchanged in anger between childhood friends. However, the image indelibly etched in my memory is that others referred to me as â€Å"Casper.† Yes, I am white ¬Ã‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ¢â‚¬â€œchalk white , milk white, even ghostly white. If others had not continuously pointedRead MoreLorraine Hansberry s A Raisin1474 Words   |  6 PagesLorraine Hansberry created the play A Raisin in the Sun. A Raisin in the Sun recounts an anecdote about The Youngers who is a poor African American family living on the Southside of Chicago. A chance to escape from neediness comes as a $10,000 extra security watch that the female authority of the family (Lena/Mama) gets upon her significant other s passing. Lena s kids, Walter and Beneatha, each have plans with the cash. The most established child, Walter (a man of 35 with a spouse and a youthfulRead MoreRacial Tension Among The Black And White Societies1008 Words   |  5 Pageswritten by Lorraine Hansberry in the late 1950s. Lorraine was the youngest of her siblings and grew up in rural Chicago back during the era of segregation. It was evident that her hard trials growing up directly correlated with this film as the setting of the plot occurred in her hometown, Chicago, right before the Civil Rights Movement began. This explicit film vividly conveyed many important issues that were ongoing in American history which saw the nation go from economic prosperity to racial tensionRead MoreTimeless Themes A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry1306 Words   |  6 PagesOne of the most notable plays on the topic of racial minorities and family issues, A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, has continued to be popular since it was written in 1959. The play is about an African American family, consisting of five members, who live in Southside Chicago during the post-World-War-Two era. The Younger family is crowded in a tiny, worn, and shabby apartment and they are fairly poor. They never have much surplus money until Walter’s father, and Mama’s husband, died andRead MoreA Raisin In The Sun Racism1626 Words   |  7 PagesA Raisin in the Sun written by Lorraine Hansberry, a story about an African American fami ly living in Chicago. The book illustrates what the daily problems of an average black family had to deal with while living in America in the 1950s and their struggle of overcoming obstacles to reach their â€Å"dream†. Hansberry use this novel to address topics such as racism, racial inequality, and racial discrimination. In 1954, many people during that time supported segregation. People perceived whites and blacksRead MoreRacial Feelings Of Chicago, Illinois1643 Words   |  7 PagesRacial feelings in Chicago, Illinois are very similar today to how they were in the 1950s. The Younger family from Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun was the epitome of a lower class, black family during that time. They dealt with the hardships of never having enough money and losing family happiness due to their lack of wealth. Modern-day Chicago can easily be compared to Chicago from the mid 1900s because of the ever-growing amount of poor blacks and the poverty riven African-Am erican neighborhoodsRead MoreThe Groundbreaking Movement : The Seminal Movement1834 Words   |  8 Pagesartists that benefited from this social movement were Langston Hughes, Countee Cullens, Margaret Walker, James Baldwin, Alice Walker, and Lorraine Hansberry. However, these are just a very minute percentage of the art population. For these artists, Morgan believed that â€Å"Social Realism became the vanguard in the African American struggle for equality and racial injustice in the Depression Era in America, and perhaps it has been (476). She also suggests that the way they elected to express themselves: