Lorraine Hansberry
Lorraine Vivian Hansberry was a groundbreaking African-American playwright and writer.
Her most famous work, A Raisin in the Sun, became the first play by a black woman to be performed on Broadway.
Hansberry's own family's struggle against housing segregation inspired the play.
She was politically active, working with prominent black intellectuals and writing about African liberation movements.
Hansberry also wrote about her experiences as a lesbian.
She won the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award at 29, becoming the youngest recipient.
Tragically, Hansberry died of pancreatic cancer at 34, but her legacy lives on, inspiring future generations of artists and activists.
