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1930-Lorraine Hansberry was born on May 19 in Chicago, Illinois. -
1938- Her family moved into a white neighborhood, which led to violent pushback and eventually the Supreme Court case Hansberry v. Lee in 1940. -
1946- In high school, she joined the newspaper staff and started showing an interest in writing and social issues. -
1948- Lorraine Hansberry graduated from Englewood High School. -
1950- Lorraine Hansberry left college and moved to New York City. She studied at The New School and started taking writing more seriously. -
1948-1950- Lorraine Hansberry attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she got involved in political and activist groups. -
1951- Took a job with Freedom, a Black newspaper edited by Paul Robeson. -
1952- Lorraine Hansberry traveled to Uruguay as a delegate at the intercontinental Peace Congress. -
1953- Lorraine Married Robert Nemiroff, a songwriter and activist. -
In 1957 she began working on the play that would become A Raisin in the Sun -
In the mid-1950s she continued writing essays and articles on African politics and racial issues. -
1959- A Raisin in the Sun opened on Broadway on March 11, making history as the first play by a Black women produced there. -
1960- Lorraine Took a trip to Nigeria and Ghana, where she connected with African independence leaders. -
1960- Lorraine's play won the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best Play, the first Black playwright and youngest ever to do so. -
1961- The movie version of A Raisin in the Sun was released with Sidney Poitier and Ruby Dee. -
In 1963 Lorraine learned she had pancreatic cancer but kept writing despite her illness. -
In 1963 Lorraine took part in a meeting with Attorney General Robert Kennedy during the civil rights struggle. -
In 1964- Her second Play, The Sign in Sidney Brustein's widow, premiered on Broadway. -
On January 12 1956, Lorraine Hansberry passed away in New York City at just 34 years old. -
1969- To be Young,Gifted and Black, a collection of her writings, was published and turned into a stage play. -
In 1970 Nina Simone released her song to be Young,Gifted and Black as a tribute. -
In 1973 a TV Version of To Be Young,Gifted and Black brought her words to an even wider audience. -
Inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame. -
The Lorraine Hansberry theatre in San Francisco celebrated her lasting impact on the arts. -
PBS aired the documentary Sighted Eyes/Feeling Heart, telling the full story of her life and career. -
- Biography.com Editors. "lorraine Hansberry biography" https://www.biography.com
- "Lorraine Hansberry". national women's History museum. https://www.womenshistory.org
- "Lorraine Hansberry". https://www.britannica.com