A Raisin In The Sun (1959)

This Day in Esoteric Political History

Jody Avirgan & Radiotopia

History

4.6 • 982 Ratings

🗓️ 10 March 2022

⏱️ 18 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

It’s March 10th. This day in 1959, “A Raisin In The Sun” debuted on Broadway. It was the first Broadway show written by an African-American woman, and marked the arrival of Loraine Hansberry as a major creative force.

Jody, NIki, and Kellie talk about the play’s critique of the mid-century American dream, Hansberry’s creative peers, and the legacy she left despite her short life.

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And don’t forget about Oprahdemics, hosted by Kellie, coming soon from Radiotopia.

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Our team: Jacob Feldman, Researcher/Producer; Brittani Brown, Producer; Khawla Nakua, Transcripts; music by Teen Daze and Blue Dot Sessions; Julie Shapiro and Audrey Mardavich, Executive Producers at Radiotopia

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello and welcome to this day in esoteric political history from Radiotopia.
0:07.0	My name is Jody Avergan.
0:10.0	This day, March 11, 1959, the play A Raison in the Sun debuted on Broadway in New York City.
0:17.0	The play was based on the experience of growing up in Chicago in the 1940s, facing racism and discrimination and pursuing the American dream.
0:26.3	It was that experience of the author Lorraine Hansbury, the first female African-American
0:31.0	to write a play that hit Broadway. get this just 28 years old at the time that the play debuted.
0:37.4	So folks, what have you accomplished?
0:39.4	No.
0:42.4	But look, here to discuss the play its political themes, it's timeless political themes,
0:45.2	it's timeless political themes, and the remarkable short life of Lorraine Hansberry are.
0:50.4	As always, Nicole Hammer of Columbia and Kelly Carter Jackson of Wellesley.
0:54.0	Hello there.
0:55.0	Hello there I am feeling very self-conscious about my CD right now.
0:58.0	I know I feel like I'm 10 years late to be 30 under 30. But hey there.
1:05.4	Yeah, exactly.
1:07.8	But, well, first off, let me say,
1:10.6	Nicole Hammer and Kelly Carter Jackson also both contributors to the new
1:13.4	newsletter that we're going to be doing here at this day. I gotta keep plugging that
1:16.0	especially tough show so folks yeah we are going to do a newsletter very soon and
1:18.9	we're going to share our thoughts and maybe our you know insecurities about what
1:22.3	we've accomplished by the age of 30.
1:24.3	But now, if you want to sign up for a new newsletter, you can do that at our website, this day pod.
	...

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