Greenwich Village in Manhattan in New York County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Lorraine Vivian Hansberry
May 19, 1930 – January 2, 1965
— 112 Waverly Place, Manhattan —
Photographed By Larry Gertner, October 13, 2018
1. Lorraine Vivian Hansberry Marker
May 19, 1930 – January 2, 1965
112 Waverly Place, Manhattan
The first African-American woman to write a play performed on Broadway, Lorraine Hansberry is best known for A Raisin in the Sun (1959), about a Chicago family living under racial segregation. The play’s title is taken from Langston’s Hughes’ poem Harlem, and some of its elements are taken from her parents’ life – their purchase of a home in a racially restricted Chicago neighborhood eventually culminated in the 1940 Supreme Court decision that restricted covenants could be legally contested. In 1950, Hansberry moved to NYC, where she attended the New School, wrote for Paul Robeson’s Pan-Africanist newspaper Freedom, and, in 1953, married producer Robert Nemiroff. Later involved with the nation’s first lesbian rights organization, The Daughters of Bilitis, Hansberry brought this building in 1960, where she resided until her death. Hansberry inspired Nina Simone’s 1969 song, To Be Young, Gifted, and Black.
Historic Landmarks Preservation Center
Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
Erected by Historic Landmarks Preservation Center.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans
this page online
Location. 40° 43.956′ N, 73° 59.96′ W. Marker is in Manhattan, New York, in New York County. It is in Greenwich Village. Marker is on Waverly Place east of 6th Avenue, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 112 Waverly Place, New York NY 10011, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Eleanor Roosevelt (within shouting distance of this marker); 80 Washington Place (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Willa Cather and Richard Wright (about 300 feet away); St. Joseph’s Church (about 300 feet away); No. 22 Washington Square North (about 400 feet away); Alexander Lyman Holley (about
Photographed By Larry Gertner, October 13, 2018
2. 112 Waverly Place
The marker is to the right of the door.
Also see . . .
1. AMERICAN MASTERS | Lorraine Hansberry: Sighted Eyes/Feeling Heart - Preview | PBS (YouTube, 3 min.). "Explore the inner life and works of the activist, playwright and author of A Raisin in the Sun, Lorraine Hansberry. Narrated by actress LaTanya Richardson Jackson and featuring the voice of Tony Award-winning actress Anika Noni Rose as Hansberry." (Submitted on October 15, 2018.)
2. Remarkable History - 112 Waverly Place. "Daytonian in Manhattan" entry. (Submitted on April 11, 2020, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
Additional keywords. LGBT LGBTQ
Photo courtesy of the New York Public Libary, 1959
3. Lorraine Hansberry
"Dramatist Lorraine Hansberry at the time of her play "A Raisin in the Sun" opening in New Haven, Connecticut, prior to its run on Broadway, 1959."
Credits. This page was last revised on January 31, 2023. It was originally submitted on October 14, 2018, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. This page has been viewed 280 times since then and 39 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 14, 2018, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. 3. submitted on October 15, 2018. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
