U.S. Census Bureau Daily Feature for May 19

WASHINGTON, May 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the daily "Profile America" feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090226/CENSUSLOGO)

WEDNESDAY, MAY 19: LORRAINE HANSBERRY

Profile America — Wednesday, May 19th.  Today would have been Lorraine Hansberry's 80th birthday.  The young African-American playwright died of cancer at the age of 34.  Her best known work, "A Raisin in the Sun", was inspired by her family's legal battle against racially segregated housing laws in Chicago, which ended up in the Supreme Court.  The play was a big success and was the first by an African-American woman to be produced on Broadway, and she was the youngest American playwright ever to receive the New York Drama Critics Award.  The play was revived on Broadway in 2004.  Just under 40 new productions reach Broadway each year, and they draw an audience of more than 12 million.  Road show versions of these productions are seen by nearly 17 million across the nation.  Profile America is beginning its 14th year as a public service of the U.S. Census Bureau.

Sources:  Chase's Calendar of Events 2010, p. 282

Statistical Abstract of the United States 2010, t. 1196

Profile America is produced by the Public Information Office of the U.S. Census Bureau. These daily features are available as produced segments, ready to air, on a monthly CD or on the Internet at http://www.census.gov (look for "Multimedia Gallery" by the "Newsroom" button).  

SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau