Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun

Why is it so hard to be a Black person living in America? It is due to the fact that White culture has never wanted to see Blacks as equal or superior to their race. To prevent the collective success of Black folks, Whites have constructed obstacles to impede the intellectual growth of African-Americans. Therefore, in order obtain basic human rights and have their own identity, Blacks must cope with White supremacy and stereotypes on a daily basis. This is evident in the novels and stories read in this African-American Literature course. The psychological effects of being Black in America are the following. The Younger family, in A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, is not welcomed in an all-White neighborhood. Emmett Till, in “The

In the play, A Raisin in the Sun, the Younger family is a group of Black people living in the south-side of Chicago. Their rights to buy a home in an all-White neighborhood in Clybourne Park are first denied when a White man from the Welcome Committee, Mr. Lindner, comes by to speak to them. He asserts, “Anybody can see that you are a nice family of folks, hardworking and honest I’m sure…people can get awfully worked up when they feel that their whole way of life and everything they’ve ever worked for is threatened” (Hansberry 117). Readers here can clearly see the racial and negative undertones from Mr. Lindner’s comments by alluding to the notion that the Younger family does not belong in the White’s neighborhood. Ironically, he is part of the Welcoming Committee but he does not welcome them into the new neighborhood because of his racist perspective. He sets up a preconceived notion that inhibits the Younger family from feeling welcomed into their new home. Mr. Linder, being a white man, showcases the act of White supremacy and enforces his White privilege by making it seem that his stereotypical assertions are valid. Stereotyping them as being a threat and a disturbance to the new neighborhood is an example of the psychological effects of being Black in America, which can allow Blacks to have a difficult time being

In “The Ethics of Living Jim Crow,” Richard Wright is a factory worker who is unable to learn how to operate machinery from his white supervisors because they are against him learning new things. From Wright’s perspective, “thinking they had forgotten that I was to learn something about the mechanics of grinding lenses, I asked Morrie one day to tell me about the work. He grew red. ‘Whut yuh tryin’ t’ do, nigger, git smart?’ he said. ‘But, Mr. Pease, the boss said…’” (Wright 1413). For Morrie to deny Wright’s rights to education and opportunity shows that Morrie refuses to allow Blacks to be smart. In fact, this directly connects into the days of institutionalized slavery, in which slave masters would prohibit their slaves to learn, because they fear that they can use their newfound intelligence in overpowering them, thus escaping for their freedom. The obstacles of White supremacy and stereotyping that Morrie sets up for Wright indeed works because, one day, Wright accidently forgets to address Morrie as “Sir.” Therefore, Morrie threatens Wright and then fires him despite being one of the hard working men in the factory. “‘I heard yuh call ‘im Pease! ‘N’ if yuh say yuh didn’t, yuh’re callin’ me a lie, see?’ He waved the steel bar threateningly. They gave me a minute to get out of the factory. I was warned not to show up again...”