Shelly Eversley, English, Baruch College, CUNY.
Lorraine Hansberry (1930–1965) worked with Paul Robeson and W.E.B. DuBois writing political speeches, letters and essays before she scored a Broadway hit with A Raisin in the Sun in 1959. She supported and inspired many other artists, including Nina Simone, who borrowed Hanberry’s title, “Young Gifted and Black” for a song that would become a hit single in 1969. Nina Simone (1933–2003) was a musician whose thwarted aspirations to become a classical pianist led her to forge one of the most original and influential jazz styles of her day. This salon will focus on these two exceptional African American female artists in the context of the black avant-garde as it took formation from WWII forward.
This event was held in conjuction with the James Gallery exhibition “The Making of Americans.” For more information, click here.