A biography of the playwright who was the first black person and the youngest American to receive the New York Drama Critics' award for the best play of the year.
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From School Library Journal
Grade 5 Up-A biography of the playwright and activist who created the phrase "young, gifted, and black." The author begins Hansberry's story with an account of the successful opening night of A Raisin in the Sun. Then, with the assistance of interviews with the playwright's relatives, black-and-white photographs, personal journals, and documents from the files Hansberry left with her former husband, the author details the obstacles Hansberry faced on her road to success. Scheader takes readers to Chicago where Hansberry grew up amid prejudice and discrimination. Her realtor father's struggles to get equal housing opportunities for African Americans laid the foundation for her involvement in the civil rights movement of the 1960s. This is Hansberry's story, but it is also the story of what it was like to be an African American during the 1950s and 1960s. Excellent chapter notes and indexing and a list for further reading conclude the volume.
Marie Wright, University Library, Indianapolis, IN
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Marie Wright, University Library, Indianapolis, IN
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Gr. 7^-10. In 1950, after Hansberry's scenic design instructor at the University of Wisconsin told her that black women had no future in theater, the feisty student headed to New York City to begin a career in journalism. There she wrote for Paul Robeson's journal Freedom and developed her writing skills and activist leanings. A personal story yearned within her, though, and her love for the theater intensified. Hansberry wanted to tell about the black experience, specifically about an ordinary black family facing discrimination on Chicago's South Side, where she was raised. The budding young writer struggled with A Raisin in the Sun for a few years and faced an uphill battle for funding before it opened in 1959 to a strong reception. The author of what would quickly become an American classic continued to write and became an outspoken advocate for civil rights until her untimely death in 1965. This lively biography in the African-American Biographies series is sure to be compared to the McKissacks' notable recent work, but although it covers the same ground, several of the anecdotes are different, and it offers more focus on Hansberry's works besides Raisin. An excellent read, particularly for those interested in theater or the civil rights struggle or both. Some murky photographs detract from an otherwise crisp design. Bibliography; source notes; chronology. Anne O'Malley
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