Lorraine Hansberry was an American playwright born in 1930. She is best known for writing A Raisin in the Sun, which made her the first black woman to write a play produced on Broadway. The play, set in Chicago in the late 1950s, focuses on the struggles of the Younger family, who are African American, as they try to achieve their dreams of a better life despite facing racial discrimination and societal challenges. Some of the major themes and events during this time period that provide important context for the play include the civil rights movement, Brown vs. Board of Education, the Montgomery bus boycott led by Rosa Parks, and the integration of Little Rock Central High School by the Little Rock Nine

1. A Raisin in the Sun
By Lorraine Hansberry
English 11
Mrs. Delaney 1

2. About LorrAine
HAnsberry
 Born in ____________,
May 19, 1930
 Father, a real estate
broker, fought for years
against ____________
housing
 Before moving to NYC
in 1950, Hansberry
studied ___________ in
Mexico and Chicago
2

3. More About
LorrAine HAnsberry
 A Raisin in the Sun made Hansberry, in
1959 at age 29, the _________ American,
the fifth woman, and the first _________
playwright to win the Best Play of the Year
Award.
 Unfortunately, Hansberry’s life was claimed
by cancer in _______; she was only 35
years old.
3

4. setting
Because the play is set during the _________, it is very
important that we know about some of the major
events that took place during this time.
Here are some of the topics we will be studying:
 The Civil Rights Movement
 Brown vs. The Board of Education
 The Little Rock Nine
 The Montgomery Alabama Bus Boycott
 Rosa Parks
4

5. tHe CiviL rigHts MoveMent
Segregation and civil
rights were two
important issues during
the time in which the
play was set.
5

6. CiviL rigHts MoveMent
Using the United Streaming video, answer the following questions
1. The _____________ of _____________ called for
the creation of a nation based on _____________
ideals for all.
2. Some people excluded from participating in
American society were __________, __________
Americans, and ____________ Americans.
3. Building on more than ______ years of civil rights
activism, the Civil Rights Movement emerged to
fulfill America’s “Revolutionary Promise”.
4. It’s purpose was fair treatment for _____
Americans, regardless of _________.
6

7. rosA PArks
Rosa Park’s decision to stay at the front of the bus
made her a civil rights hero.
For more information, check out this site:
http://www.time.com/time/time100/heroes/profile/park
s01.html
7

8. rosA PArks
Using the United Streaming video, answer the following questions
1. On December 1, _____, Rosa was on her way
home from ____________.
2. If Rosa had realized who the driver was, she would
have waited for ____ ________ __________.
3. Rosa didn’t stay in her seat because she was
physically tired, she stayed because she was tired
of ____________ _____.
4. No segregation law angered black people in
Montgomery more than ______ segregation.
5. The _________ called for all blacks to boycott bus
service to show support for Rosa.
6. Many were surprised by the success of the
boycott.
7. Rosa was fined $10 + $4 for court costs for
violating segregation laws. 8

9. tHe LittLe roCk nine

On September 23, 1957 nine African American
teenagers were the first to attend an all white High
School in Little Rock, Arkansas. For more
information, check out:
http://pbskids.org/wayback/civilrights/features_school
.html 9

10. brown vs. tHe boArd of
eduCAtion
In the Midwest town of Topeka,
Kansas, a little girl named
Linda Brown had to ride the
bus five miles to school each
day although a public school
was located only four blocks
from her house. The school
wasn't full and the little girl met
all of the requirements to
attend — all but one that is.
Linda Brown was black. And
blacks weren't allowed to go to
white children's schools.
10

11. LittLe roCk nine &
brown vs boArd of eduCAtion
Using the United Streaming video, answer the following questions
1. The NAACP won a case that stated _________
____________ segregation was illegal.
2. The outcome impacted 17 states that had racially
segregated schools and influenced ________ school
in the country.
3. Many schools were _____ willing to give up prejudices.
4. In Little Rock, Arkansas, ___ black students were
scheduled to attend classes alongside _______ white
students.
5. These children participated so that they and their
children might someday be treated as ________.
6. It finally took the intervention of the ___________ to
control the angry resistance. The National Guard
provided protection.
11

12. MontgoMery, ALAbAMA bus boyCott
From 1955 to 1956 the
Montgomery bus
boycott was an
important movement
that served as a
catalyst for
desegregation in the
U.S.
12

13. MontgoMery bus boyCott
Using the United Streaming video, answer the following questions
1. The Montgomery Improvement Association was
led by Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.
2. When asked to stand to support the bus boycott,
__________ person in the church stood.
3. All of the association’s demands were turned
down.
4. The bus boycott lasted ___ ________. Many
people lost their jobs.
5. The city found an old law that said boycotts were
illegal. Many were arrested, including King and
Parks.
6. The protesters never used __________.
7. Bus boycotts started across the country. 13

14. iMPortAnt terMs
 Protagonist – central character in a story, the
one who initiates or drives the action
 Antagonist – opponent who struggles against
or blocks the hero or protagonist
 Conflict – struggle between opposing forces
or characters in a story
 Internal – struggle involving opposing forces within
a person’s mind
 External – struggle between two people, a person
and nature/machine, or a person and society
14

15. More iMPortAnt terMs
 Plot Structure
 Exposition – opening of story; info on setting and
characters
 Rising Action – development of conflicts, until
turning point
 Climax – turning point and/or moment of greatest
emotional intensity
 Falling Action – activity after the climax that leads
to the resolution
 Resolution – the conclusion of the story when all
or most of the conflicts have been settled (not
always a happy ending)
15

16. “i HAve A dreAM…”
A Raisin in the Sun is about an ordinary man
with a dream – a dream of a better life for
himself and his family.
16

17. referenCes
WEBSITES
Lorraine Hansberry
http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/corhans.htm
Brown vs. The Board of Education
http://www.digisys.net/users/hootie/brown/
The Little Rock Nine
http://pbskids.org/wayback/civilrights/features_school.html
The Montgomery, Alabama bus boycott
http://home.att.net/~reniqua/
MOVIE CLIPS
http://www.unitedstreaming.com
17

18. “A Dream Deferred”
by Langston Hughes
What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up
like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore--
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over--
like a syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.
Or does it explode? 18