A Raisin in the Suns Connection to American History

A Raisin in the Sun reflects the author, Lorraine Hansberry, with the starring Younger

family during the 1950s and 60s. Her life was riddled with controversy, from her upbringing to

the different movements and clubs she participated in, experiences granting her insight into the

conflict between blacks and whites. She merged the feminist movement, The Great Migration,

and the redlining and covenants into her play with ease, movements in the play that allow us the

opportunity to reenact what it would have been like to live in that era.

After The Great Migration, competition for housing, racism, and prejudice were on the

rise. They were all experienced by Mama, the head of the Younger family household. She put a

down-payment on a house in Clybourne Park, grabbing the neighborhood's administration's

attention. Clybourne Park administration upheld the neighborhood's covenant: the covenant

being an agreement not to sell the property to blacks. Covenants were agreements that were

heavily used in Chicago and would remain legal until 1948. A relative topic with Lorraine, her

father was a successful real estate agent. His job gave Lorraine insight into redlining and

covenants. Housing for blacks was a narrow market created by discrimination. Realtors bumped

up prices and rates more on black housing compared to white housing. So, after Mama told

the family that the house was in a white neighborhood, they were immediately appalled. There

would be prejudice and slurring, but it would be safer and more affordable; an experience that

Lorraine could understand. She grew up in a white middle-class neighborhood. She was

terrorized as a child for trying to act white. This housing discrimination dilemma would remain

legal until the Fair Housing Act passed in 1968.

 During The Great Migration from 1916 to 1970, African-Americans left the South and

traveled north to the big cities. They wanted a better life away from the miserable economic

opportunities; that better life was not found. New arrivals came to realize that there were just

different pitiable economic opportunities, with even more strenuous jobs that led to greater

health problems. Take it from the play, Mama's husband, Big Walter, worked until his body gave

out. He sought to give his family a better life. Furthermore, in big cities like Chicago, most

crimes and murders happened within half a mile of people's houses. It wasn't safe to walk

around your home without a gun; a dangerous living arrangement for rearing children. In the

documentary Chicago's Violent Daily Life, the Newton Family's big sis's dream was to get the

kids out of Southside Chicago. Wanting to leave relates to our Younger family in the play. The

Younger's apartment was in the Southside; they dreamed of getting out of that rat trap. Ruth

wanted a better life for her child, Travis, as well as the baby in her stomach. Then, you consider

Walter Lee himself: he despised catering to the rich men with his chauffeur job. He wanted to be

those men he serviced, wearing suits, drinking, socializing, and being in control of his life. So,

he tried to make his dream reality, planned to own a liquor store with some friends. Safe to say,

those dreams were brutally crushed. Dreaming for more is what ultimately linked everyone

during The Great Migration together.

Lorraine was a strong supporter of the feminist movement during the 1950s and 60s.

Feminism was a main aspect in the play, especially since the play was written after World War

II, a turning point for the feminist movement. Lorraine then added many examples of male

chauvinism to give a dynamic quality to the feminists movement, portrayed by the few men

introduced throughout the play. I would first consider Walter Lee; he demanded Beneatha be

content being a maid, not to have aspirations to become a doctor. He mostly wanted the money

for himself, to start his own job, to be the man in the family. In another scene, George,

Beneatha's love interest, didn't want to carry on an intellectual conversation; he just wanted to
make out. George then became irritated and told her that all a woman needs is a body and not

a brain. Now we look at the women's empowerment in the play. We have Mama, who is

making all the hard decisions concerning the family's lives; then Ruth, Walter Lee's wife,

containing the strength to consider an illegal abortion. She had to think for the best of the family:

could she feed one more mouth? In addition, Beneatha is aiming for a degree as a doctor

expressing feminine power.

In conclusion, A Raisin in the Sun is a play written with the feminist movement, The

Great Migration, and the redlining and covenants all in mind. They represented only a few of the

historical events and issues touched on during the brief reenactment of the Younger family's

dilemma. Lorraine Hansberry was able to take her experience and people who impacted her to

create a cohesive fictional historical piece. Each character is able to give a relatable perspective

on the events taken place during the time period, tunneling into the big picture that we all have

dreams and hopes, wanting something better.

Chicagos Violent Daily Life: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAA3aQt4AGQ

Housing Discrimination in America Was Perfected in Chicago:
http://www.chicagomag.com/city-life/May-2014/The-Long-Shadow-of-Housing-
Discrimination-in-Chicago/
The Great Migration: http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/great-migration
Hansberry, Lorraine. A Raisin in the Sun. New York: Vintage Books, 1958, 1988.
Lorraine Hansbury: mini - DOCUMENTARY:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRqWB_tdPs0