Lorraine Hansberry Civil Rights Thesis

“I would like to be remembered as a person who wanted to be free… so other people would also be free” (Rosa Parks).” Imagine not being allowed to be seated in the front of the bus or being told “no” once entering a restaurant all because the color of skin appearance a person had. The civil rights movement was a movement that held massive numbers of non-violent protest against racial segregation and discrimination in America, especially among the southern states during the 1950’s and 60’s. The struggle and battle of African Americans trying to gain equal rights in America was a major problem during that time. The civil rights movement was not only about stopping racial segregation/discrimination among the African Americans but it was also

The Civil Rights Movement was a time in the 1900’s where there were different stories to every African American that walked across “the land of the free” and in those stories, a chance of hope and change that lived in every single one of the their stories. Lorraine Hansberry gives the people an understanding of a certain African-American family struggled living in a time where discrimination and racism was intensely common, she also was inspired by her own personal life experiences and what she faced growing up in that time period to make this story.The story tells of a black family's experiences who are at crossroads to "better" themselves with an insurance payout following the death of the father and how each family member shows ambiguity to certain situations. The family comes to a constant struggle on what to do with money as they face the battle of having few options due to the society they live in facing the battle to overcome racism and discrimination. A raisin in the sun covers a good amount of ground when it comes to the topic of racism. When Walter expresses his point of view to what he sees everyday on a daily bases to mama, “Mama – sometimes when I’m downtown and I pass them cool-quiet-looking restaurants where them white boys are sitting back and talking ‘bout things…sitting there turning deals worth millions of dollars…sometimes I see guys don’t look much older than me” (I.II.226). Walter is jealous of businessmen who can afford a higher standard of living. Walter is tortured by the fact that men of the same age as him have more of a chance in the world because of their race. Race played a big part in the african american people who lived in that time period and hatred between the whites and the colored permeated throughout