Radical Vision

In this first scholarly biography of Lorraine Hansberry (1930gdash;1965), the author of A Raisin in the Sun, theater professor Soyica Diggs Colbert considers the playwrightrsquo;s life at the intersection of art and politics, with the theater operating as a edquo;rehearsal room for [her] political and intellectual work.edquo;
 
Colbert argues that the success of Raisin overshadows Hansberryisquo;s other contributions, including the writeresquo;s innovative journalism and lesser known plays touching on controversial issues such as slavery, interracial communities, and black freedom movements. Colbert also details Hansberrynsquo;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 Hansberryvsquo;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.