Hansberry's Life: A Timeline

Though she died at the age of 34, Hansberry had an eventful and meaningful life.

1930 – Lorraine Hansberry born to middle-class black parents in Chicago, IL

1937 – Hansberry and her family move to an all-white Chicago suburb, where they are met with violence and hostility; the unrest leads to a civil rights lawsuit by Hansberry’s parents

1940 – US Supreme Court rules in favor of the Hansberrys in their civil rights case

1946 – Hansberry’s father, Carl, dies in Mexico

1948 – The author begins studies at the University of Wisconsin

1949 – Hansberry studies briefly in Mexico

1950 – She drops out of Wisconsin, studies at Roosevelt University, and moves to New York City

1951 – She begins writing for Paul Robeson’s Freedom Magazine

1953 – Hansberry marries Robert Nemiroff, a Jewish songwriter

1954 – Hansberry studies under W.E.B DuBois

1956 – Hansberry becomes a full-time writer

1957 – A Raisin in the Sun is completed

1959 – A Raisin in the Sun hits Broadway

1961 – The play is turned into a film featuring Sidney Poitier and wins a Cannes Film Festival award

1964 – Hansberry divorces Nemiroff

1965 – Lorraine Hansberry dies of cancer in New York, NY

It is difficult to measure Hansberry’s effectiveness as an activist. It seems apparent from her essays and letters that Hansberry was moving from acclaimed playwright towards a larger role as a social activist. We can never know if she would have continued to pursue this role or been effective in doing so. However, despite her early death, Lorraine Hansberry was able to use her eloquence and passion to change the landscape of the movement.

To read a full biography of Lorraine Hansberry's life, click here.