Summary - Essay Example

Lorraine Hansberry and the Struggle for Peace The article discusses Hansberry and her commitment to peace despite all the oppression and discrimination taking place around the world. Her commitment and attempts at peace started from her childhood years and continued until her untimely death. Her attempts at peace have never been approached by other writers in the past because her attempt at peace seemed to support the idea of communism and this was not a communist society. It also meant a restoration of the position of African Americans as peace advocates although it was thought to be an attempt or characteristic of black radicalism.
Hansberry believed deeply that when humanity had peace within itself, it would enable them reach their full potential and lead to achievement of justice. Peace would lead to achievement of social justice which would mean an end to negative things that have been dominating the society such as corruption, poverty, wars and even maltreatment of particular type of group of people (Lieberman 230). Her approach which indicated she was a black radicalism follower portrayed her passion for her course of peace which she even attempted to use media and theatre to pass across her peace preaching and have to do more before one could even be considered a hero. Her peace activism had roots in politics and art from the way back in the time when she was growing up and hence her work cannot simply be reduced to just activism because she also explored the politics development and philosophy and incorporated them in her peace attempts and activities.
She was brought up in a world full of war and atomic bombs to destroy mankind in the heart of World War II and it is therefore understandable why she would support communism and try to broker it as a view of the world that people should indeed follow if they wanted to live in peace during the post-World War II era. Communism in the South was linked to issues or race such as racial pride, black leadership and the anticipation of the black movement. Her idea of peace and social justice was not only supported by communists but non-communists as well who were tired of the cold war and structural violence and just wanted to coexist in peace.
Hansberry used her voice and writing skills to openly address the issue of structural violence reminding people that violence, the crimes committed by youth and their youthful delinquency tendencies as well as discrimination and a lack of opportunity all culminated to fueling war and causing more problems for mankind. She attempted to borrow a few courageous acts to stand on her ground about peace as means to end the injustice and war and the series of violence taking place in society ad liberate people as well as making people understand each other. She insinuated that politics could and should be used as a tool to foster the peace and caring attitude and nature among its people as it spreads far and wide and captures more and more individuals hence changing them and this is a view that has come to be shared by recent time prominent individuals who are advocates of peace and justice themselves (Lieberman 216).
Work Cited
Lieberman, Robbie. “Measure Them Right”: Lorraine Hansberry and the Struggle for Peace.” Science & Society, Vol. 75, No. 2, April 2011, 206–235. Read More