The Whole Staircase: Films Celebrating 400 Years of African American History & Culture
SJR State's commemoration logo
A Raisin in the Sun (1961)
"Film of the award-winning play about a struggling black family living on Chicago's South Side and the impact of an unexpected insurance bequest. Each family member sees the bequest as the means of realizing dreams and of escape from grinding frustrations." - summary
Screenplay by Lorraine Hansberry
Run time: 128 minutes
This film is not rated. Common Sense Media deems it suitable for ages 13 and over.
Licensed through Swank
Screening Date and Location
March 11, 2019
The Library will present this film on March 11, the date the play made its Broadway debut in 1959.
Palatka Campus, Valhalla Hall at 10:00 a.m. and
Palatka Campus Library, L-219C at 5:00 p.m.
Orange Park, building D, room D-14 at 1:00 p.m.
July 25, 2019
Location: Palatka Campus Library
Time: 5:30 p.m.
An informal discussion with members of The Turning Table's Race Issues Study Circle will be held after the film.
Resources for Further Exploration: A Raisin in the Sun
A Raisin in the Sun by Call Number: St. Johns River/Palatka and St. Augustine -- PS3515.A515 R3 1995ISBN: 9780679601722Publication Date: 1995-08-22"A three-act play concerned with the tensions in a middle- class African American family living on Chicago's Southside in the 1950s." - publisher
A Raisin in the Sun by Call Number: Orange Park Circulation -- PN1997 .R2259 1992ISBN: 9780452267763Publication Date: 1992-10-01
Gender in Lorraine Hansberry's a Raisin in the Sun by Call Number: St. Johns River/Orange Park Circulation -- PS3515.A515 R336 2011ISBN: 9780737750225Publication Date: 2011-02-10"Offers an in-depth examination of gender as presented in Lorraine Hansberry's A raisin in the sun, as well as contemporary perspectives on this issue." - publisher
To Be Young, Gifted and Black by Call Number: St. Johns River/Palatka and Orange Park -- PS3515.A515 Z8 1995ISBN: 9780613913935Publication Date: 1995-11-01"A selection of prose, dramatic writings, and drawings done by African-American playwright Lorraine Hansberry, which, combined with other fiction and non-fiction commentary, provide insight into her life, thoughts, feelings, and career." - publisher
Celebration • Education • Reflection
H.R.1242/Public Law 115-102, the 400 Years of African American History Commission Act, establishes 2019 as a year of "commemoration of the 400th anniversary of the arrival of Africans in the English colonies, at Point Comfort, Virginia, in 1619." The commemoration is intended “to recognize and highlight the resilience and contributions of African-Americans since 1619; to acknowledge the impact that slavery and laws that enforced racial discrimination had on the United States; and to educate the public about the arrival of Africans in the United States; and the contributions of African-Americans to the United States.” In recognition of this commemoration and with the Act serving as a guide, the SJR State Library has organized a year-long series of events that will provide educational experiences and resources to students and the community that celebrate the history and culture of African Americans.
Site created and maintained by Dr. Christina Will. Pages will be added and maintained throughout 2019.
Maintenance will cease at the end of 2019 but this site will remain accessible.