Racial Identity and Unity in A Raisin in the Sun

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“Looking for my Identity” in A Raisin in the Sun In the play A Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry (1959), the author depicts an African American family whom struggles with the agonizing inferiority present during the 1950s. Hansberry illustrates the constant discrimination that colored people, as a whole, endured in communities across the nation. Mama, who is the family’s foundation, is the driving force behind the family on the search for a better life. With the family living in extreme poverty, their family bond is crucial in order to withstand the repression. Hansberry effectively portrays the racism within society, and how it reinforced unity amongst the family members. As an African-American family that has its roots in the south, …show more content…

White individuals made it almost impossible for African Americans to live in a white society. In her story Hansberry discusses an example of institutionalized racism, "Them houses they out up for colored in them areas way out all seem to cost twice as much as other house. I did the best i could" (Hansberry 1507). Racism was everywhere and this quote shows the racist laws that made the lives of colored individuals more difficult than it already was. This should not be the factor in america at this time considering slavery was abolished in 1865. These people are are being judged off what color skin they have; automatically making African Americans irrelevant and not accepted in many parts not just south side Chicago. Because discrimination against colored people was very influenced by many, white folks did what they could to keep these different races separate. In correlation to the previous statement, Karl Linder from the "Clybourne Park Improvement Association" …show more content…

Even though slavery was abolished, many colored people had very low-paying jobs. In fact, “Like the Youngers, 64% of black women and 34% of black men in the city worked as domestic servants” (Gordon 123). This exclaims how the white class has superior over colored people because of there disagreements with past events. Since there was a vast amount of African-Americans in this area it caused increasing acts of violence because of the huge unemployment rate, Along with the mixture of races if certain parts which many white’s did not agree

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