-
Born in Chicago, Illinois, to Carl Augustus Hansberry, one of the first people to start a bank for black people in Chicago , and Nannie Louise, a driving school teacher. Youngest of four children.
-
Hansberry graduated from Betsy Ross Elementary in 1944 -
Graduated from Englewood High School in 1948 -
Attended University of Wisconsin–Madison, she quickly became politically active with the Communist Party.
-
In the summer of 1949, Hansberry studied painting at the University of Guadalajara. -
Lorannie decided to leave Madison and pursue her career as a writer in New York City. This is where she attended New School for Social Research. This is where she began to work for the newspaper where she would write news articles and editorials. -
Lorranie worked on not only the US civil rights movement, but also global struggles against colonialism and imperialism.
-
To celebrate Freedom's first anniversary, Hansberry helped write a rally script on the history of Black newspapers in America, performed at Harlem's Rockland Palace. -
Lorraine Hansberry resided in a third-floor apartment at 335–337 Bleecker Street in Greenwich Village.
-
She married Robert Nemiroff, a Jewish publisher, songwriter, and political activist. -
Lorraine connected to his writing and activism, particularly his poem "Harlem" (which inspired the title of A Raisin in the Sun). He was a huge influence in her writing.
-
Lorraine Hansberry was awarded the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best Play for her groundbreaking work "A Raisin in the Sun" becoming the youngest American and the first Black playwright to receive this award -
Completed in 1957, A Raisin in the Sun premiered at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre, making history as the first Broadway production written by an African American woman. -
Hansberry was made an honorary member.
-
Lorannie replaced Vinnette Carroll as the director of the musical Kicks and Co. the $400,000 production was co-produced by her husband Robert Nemiroff. -
Separated in 1957 and divorced in 1962.
-
The same year "The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window" opened, Hansberry was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
-
Pancreatic cancer is particularly aggressive and difficult to treat. Hansberry's surgery failure could show the limitations of medical technology at that time.
-
Lorraine underwent a second surgery, which again turned out unsuccessful as they were not able to remove the cancer or cure her disease.
-
Hansberry died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 34. In New York City.