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Most everyone is familiar with actress Lorriane Hansberry and her phenomenal work in the classic film A Raisin In The Sun. However, not many people know about her creativity and her extensive work in activism.

Jacque Reid goes Inside Her Story with director Tracy Heather Strain who tells the full story of Hansberry in her new documentary Lorriane Hansberry: Sighted Eyes/Feeling Heart

“I really hope people take away inspiration. I think that in this present day in which we find our self I think it’s really important to be inspired,” explained Strain.

“Lorraine was a life long activist,” expressed Strain. “Her parents were involved in trying to change things for African-Americans,” in Chicago where she grew up.

Hansberry created a play that showed the struggle of living on the South Side of Chicago. “Lorriane Hansberry considers  her play to be a protest play,” explained Strain. “She wanted people to see the conditions people were living in on the South Side of Chicago.”

Her goal was to highlight the very specific issue of living there. She said, “in order to achieve the universal you have to be specific.” In doing this, many people misunderstood her protest play.

Catch Lorriane Hansberry: Sighted Eyes/Feeling Heart streaming on PBS.org

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Inside Her Story: The Life Of Actress & Activist Lorraine Hansberry  was originally published on blackamericaweb.com