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As a young girl, playwright Lorraine Hansberry walked everywhere with a notebook, eager to capture the sights, sounds, and stories of the people around her. First Lorraine watched her parents triumph in the Supreme Court case of Hansberry v. Lee. Then she discovered the magic of theater. Next, she unlocked the power of her voice, crafting A Raisin in the Sun. Her play went on to influence generations of artists and the world was never the same
About the author
Jay Leslie has always loved to write. Everywhere she goes, she carries a notebook just in case she gets a new idea—most of all, she loves to write the books that she wishes she’d had as a child. Jay grew up in the United States, but now lives in Berlin, Germany, where she spends her time writing novels, learning new languages, and backpacking through the Schwarzwald. Jay’s picture books include Who Did It First? 50 Politicians, Activists, and Revolutionized the World, and Game, Set, Sisters! The Story of Venus and Serena Williams.Loveis Wise is a multidisciplinary artist and Capricorn drawing reimagined futures and playfulness in Los Angeles. They are best known for illustrating picture book titles such as Magnolia Flower by Zora Neale Hurston and Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, Ablaze With Color: A Story of Painter Alma Thomas by Jeanne Walker Harvey, Becoming Charley by Kelly DiPucchio, and notably the Coretta Scott King Award honoree, The People Remember by Ibi Zoboi.
Summary
A luminous picture book biography about artist and activist Lorraine Hansberry, who was the playwright of A Raisin in the Sun, the first play by a Black woman to be produced on Broadway.
“Lorraine Hansberry has had a direct influence on who we are, the stories we tell, and how we move in the world today. We are beyond delighted to share Jay’s beautiful words and Loveis’s stunning work, bringing this iconic visionary to life for the next generation of dreamers.” —Lena Waithe, Rishi Rajani, and Naomi Funabashi, Hillman Grad Books
Lorraine Hansberry soared to fame when her play A Raisin in the Sun debuted on Broadway, and her work would go on to influence generations of artists. But before the spotlight, Lorraine was a little girl who walked everywhere with a notebook, eager to capture the sights, sounds, and stories of the people around her.
What I Must Tell the World vividly follows Lorraine’s journey to finding her voice and her determination to bring Black stories to the stage. Jay Leslie’s text and Loveis Wise's artwork capture the experiences that inspired Lorraine, from her childhood in the segregated south side of Chicago to her adult years in Harlem creating alongside other legends like James Baldwin. Lyrical, vibrant, and empowering, this picture book is a celebration of Lorraine Hansberry’s life and legacy, and an ode to the power of theater and storytelling.
