Melvin B. Tolson
[ 1898-1966 ]

Langston University presents
The Dust Bowl Players in
A Raisin in the Sun
Lorraine Hansberry

M.B. Tolson, Director

May 24, 1963

from the Melvin B. Tolson Papers
at the Library of Congress Washington D.C.

We've provided a few photos from the original Broadway productions of A Raisin in the Sun. Pensive, dynamic, covering a family caught in the drama of contemporary politics and racism, the play must have held great appeal for Tolson and his drama students. We also include a photo of the front page of The Chicago Defender that details the original Hansberry family discrimination suit that was the real-life impetus for the play. For more on Hansberry as a social activist, see the Lorraine Hansberry page at Columbia/Barnard's Social Justice Movements web page.