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Welcome to America
Roger and Josephine Gurira come and stay in the United states until Zimbabwe gains freedom. -
Birthday
Danai Jekesai Gurira was born to Roger and Josephine Gurira in Grinnell, Iowa. The youngest of four children, Shingai, Choni, and Tare. -
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Fun Fact 1
Her family called her dee dee and she didn't learn her real name until starting kindergarten(2017) -
Welcome back to America
Once Durira finished high school in Harare, Zimbabwe, she returned to American to study psychology but after graduating from Minnesota she traveled to New York to earn a masters of fine arts. -
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Fun Fact 2
Danai is fluent in four languages French, Shona, English, and Xhosa. -
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Gurira's Three Keys to success
"1.Have a vision
2. Go where the love is
3.Finish what you started" (Clark,2015) -
Creating "In the continuum"
Danai Gurira co-wrote "In The Continuum" with Nikkole Salter. Then later performed it in order to illustrate the hardships of a Zimbabwean woman who contracted HIV from her husband. https://www.dramaonlinelibrary.com/plays/in-the-continuum-iid-131144 -
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Women Empowerment
Being a writer is her way of bringing that unheard African/ African American American Voice front and center. She works toward having women and men get the same oportunities. She strives to be an advocate women all over the world. -
While in Zimbabwae
"As a young girl, Gurira saw how females would be placed at the margins of society.
As a college student, she saw the power of artistic expression in South Africa, where creative people had been using theater and other art forms to fight Apartheid.
“These sorts of experiences seeped into my soul,”
The mileposts from Gurira’s younger years are among reasons she continues to invest so much of her talent and energy into producing theater in Zimbabwe." (Workneh,2014) -
Joseph Jefferson Award nomination
''[Gurira] was nominated for the 2007 Joseph Jefferson Award for Actress in a Principal Role in a Play for "In the Continuum", at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, Illinois.''(IMDB) -
Broadway Debut
Gurira mage her Broadway acting debut portraying Martha pentecost in Joe Turner's come and gone. at the Belasco theater. -
Publishing "Eclipsed"
Eclipse is a play that tells the story of multiple sex slaves taken captive by Liberian commandos during the regime of Charles Taylor shortly before thier civil war ended. Although Gurira didn't explicitly say that her visit to Liberia was motivation for this play but the fact that Liberian women," would embrace[her] as a sister and share very intimate details with [her]... [and] looked at [her] as family. (stilwell,2012) I can believe thats more than enough to write a couple of plays. -
Co-Founded Almasi Arts Inc.
"Co-founded Almasi Arts Inc., an organization dedicated to supporting arts education in Zimbabwe (2011). She currently serves as the Executive Artistic Director." (IMDB) -
The Covert
Gurira's third play is about Jekesai who is conflicted about ending her arranged marriage. The Covert earned Gurira a Whiting Award for the emerging artist. -
Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Winner
"[Gurira] was awarded the 2012 Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for Writing for "The Convert", in a co-production with McCarter Theatre Center and Goodman Theatre at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Los Angeles, California." (IMDB) -
NAACP Theatre Award Winner
"[Gurira] was awarded the 2013 NAACP Theatre Award for Best Playwriting for "The Convert", in a co-production with McCarter Theatre Center and Goodman Theatre at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Los Angeles, California." (IMDB) -
World premiere of Familiar
Danai Gurira was commissioned by Yale Reperatory Theater to write " Familiar" a story of a first generation American's experiences.The script came to life on the Yale stage in January then off broadway in February. She won theSam Norkin Award. -
Founded Love Our Girls
Gurira Founded this non-profit organization that highlights the issues and challenges that specifically affect women all throughout the world (IMDB) -
Tony Nominated
"[Gurira] was nominated for the 2016 Tony Award for Best Play for "Eclipsed", which she wrote, on Broadway in New York City." (IMDB0 -
Grinnell Visit
Gurira said, “The choice you make will impact an era, I wanted to be here because I really wanted to encourage you guys.” Gurira made no attempt to hide her support for Secretary Hillary Clinton for president, because “[t]here are now girls and women who are snatched from their homes,” she said.“They are abducted from their homes, raped and used as sex slaves” and
how the would-be voters should be," supporting a candidate who wants to “tear down walls, not rebuilding them"(Hayes,2016)
