Racial Discrimination In Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun

Imagine being separated into two lanes on the highway. For one lane, there are speedbumps, red lights, and stop signs that prevent the driver from arriving at their destination in a timely manner. The faster lane allows the driver to get to their destination five times faster than the slower one. Now imagine those speedbumps and stops in the form of restricted housing and racial discrimination. The faster lane only allows white people whereas the slower lane allow the Blacks. Separation of highway lanes illustrates the idea of dreams deferred with redlining. Red lining is racial segregation in terms of housing where the houses sold to African Americans are at a higher price and in a poor neighborhood which receive more taxes than whites. Lorraine

A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry reflects the dreams deferred Hansberry experienced in her confrontation against racial discrimination during her childhood.
As Hansberry wrote A Raisin in the Sun to spread awareness about Black home life and the barriers of buying a home, she integrated many experiences she had during her childhood into the play. When Hansberry was a girl, her family attempted to buy a home in a zone where mostly whites lived in Chicago. Due to redlining, denying an eligible applicant for a loan due to the color of their skin, Blacks were deterred from buying a home in this area. The University of Chicago states, “under the ‘restrictive agreement’, about 500 Chicago property owners agreed that no part of the real estate should be ‘sold, leased to, or permitted to be occupied by any personal of the colored race’” (University of Chicago). As white people produced the restrictive agreement, they proved how Blacks are racially discriminated against in the housing industry. The Hansberrys brought the case to the District Circuit Court, but the court only affirmed the restrictive agreement. Furthermore, the Hansberrys appealed

Her family was her prominent inspiration to write the play, and she wants to depict how Black people were mistreated in the 1950s. The Chicago Public Library states in an interview with Hansberry that she “noted similarities between Nannie Hansberry and Mama Younger and between Carl Hansberry and Big Walter. Walter Lee, Jr. and Ruth are composites of Hansberry’s brothers, their wives and her sister, Mamie” (Chicago Public Library). Incorporating personal experiences and truth into the play, Hansberry is able to have a stronger outcry about the mistreatment of Blacks. The characters are relatable to the audience, and it is evident that Hansberry poured her soul into writing this play. Hansberry literally reflected her life which is her nannie, mama, brothers, sisters, and sister-in laws as these characters. The play is not an exact representation of her life, but the play nearly mimics her family and their struggles against redlining and racial discrimination from whites. During an interview, Hansberry exclaims, “Beneatha is me, eight years ago” (Chicago Public Library). Hansberry’s statement proves the connection between Hansberry’s life and A Raisin in the Sun. Beneatha is a reflection of Lorraine Hansberry as Beneatha is the one who seeks education and to rebel against assimilation into the dominant white culture, just like Hansberry. Hansberry pursued her