Lorraine Hansberry

  • Born date

    Born date
    She was born in Chicago, Illinois. Being the youngest of 4 children.
  • Racism

    This year her family moved to a white neighborhood in which they were not received peacefully.
  • Moving

    Later that same year they had to move because of a court ordered them to do so.
  • A father loss

    During a trip to Mexico, Lorraine's father passed away while planning to move his family there.
  • University

    She enrolled in the university of Wisconsin.
  • Involving in theatre

    After attending a presentation of Sean O’Casey’s "Juno and the Paycock", she got inspiration to be involved in theatre.
  • Dropping out

    In that year she dropped out of University to look for what she referred to as "an education of another kind".
  • Meeting Robert

    In December she met her future husband, Robert Nemiroff.
  • Under investigation

    After traveling to Uruguay, the FBI began lifelong surveillance on her by being involved in the publishing of "Freedom" and being part of the manifestation of May 8 on Mississippi.
  • Marriage

    She gets married to Robert Nemiroff who was a composer and editor.
  • Separation

    Robert and Lorraine secretly separated and in the fall of that year, she presented her first draft of "A Raisin in the Sun" to Phil Rose and Burt D’Lugoff.
  • Making history

    Her play, "A Raisin in the Sun" presents for the first time in Broadway.
  • A Raisin in the Sun

    Her play "A Raisin in the Sun" was first performed live. A few weeks later it started a 2-week tryout in Philadelphia.
  • Getting a home

    Lorraine uses money from "A Raisin in the Sun" to buy a home at 112 Waverly Place in Greenwich Village.
  • Closing "A Raisin in the Sun"

    "A Raisin in the Sun" ends its Broadway run after 530 performances.
  • Movie awards

    A film version of "A Raisin in the Sun" was released and presented at the Cannes Film Festival and won the Gary Cooper Award for Human Values.
  • Moving to NY

    Lorraine moved to Croton-on-Hudson in New York. In October that year, she spoke at an anti-HUAC rally, delivering her “My Government is Wrong” speech.
  • Final diagnosis

    After having an attack that made her collapse, doctors had her hospitalized by 10 days and they discovered that she had cancer.
  • Closing and funeral

    Her play "The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window" closes on Broadway the same day her funeral took place.
  • Pass away

    Lorraine passes away at the age of 34 due to a cancer