Lawrence Public Library

Radical vision, a biography of Lorraine Hansberry, Soyica Diggs Colbert

eng

Includes bibliographical references and index

individual biography

illustrations

index present

non fiction

Radical vision

bibliography

1184239038

Soyica Diggs Colbert

a biography of Lorraine Hansberry

"In this first scholarly biography of Lorraine Hansberry (1930-1965), the author of A Raisin in the Sun, theater professor Soyica Colbert considers the playwright's life at the intersection of art and politics, with the theater operating as a 'rehearsal room for [her] political and intellectual work.' Colbert argues that the success of Raisin overshadows Hansberry's other contributions, including the writer's innovative journalism and lesser known plays touching on controversial issues such as slavery, interracial communities, and Black freedom movements. Colbert also details Hansberry's unique involvement in the Black freedom struggles during the Cold War and the early civil rights movement, in order to paint a full portrait of her life and impact. Drawing from Hansberry's papers, speeches, and interviews, this book presents its subject as both a playwright and a political activist. It also reveals a new perspective on the roles of Black women in mid-twentieth-century political movements." --, From publisher's description

Introduction: Notes of a Native Daughter -- Practices of Freedom -- The Shaping Force of A Raisin in the Sun -- Origins : Black Radicalism as a Shapeshifting Pursuit -- The Movement -- From Liberals to Radicals -- With Her Mind Stayed on Freedom -- Epilogue: Alternative Endings