Carl Augustus Hansberry

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Carl Augustus Hansberry (April 30, 1895—March 7, 1946) was a prominent real estate broker, inventor and political activist. He was also the father of award-winning playwright Lorraine Hansberry.

[edit] Biography

Carl Augustus Hansberry was born on April 30, 1895[1] in Gloster, Amite County, Mississippi.[2] [3] He was a son of Elden Hayes and Pauline (Bailey) Hansberry.[4] He and his older brother, William Leo Hansberry, were raised by their stepfather, Elijah Washington.[5] As a young man, he moved to Chicago.[6]

He married Nannie Louise Perry of Columbia, Maury County, Tennessee, the daughter of George Perry, a minister, and his wife, Charlotte "Lottie" Organ.[7][8] Together Carl and Nannie had four children:

When his youngest child was eight, Hansberry bought a house in a neighborhood that was restricted to whites. The family was met with intense hostility by local residents and forced to vacate the home by the local courts. Hansberry challenged the ruling, which led to the landmark Supreme Court case Hansberry v. Lee (1940).

In 1940, Hansberry made an unsuccessful bid for Congress. In the wake of that loss and frustrated by the pervasive racism in the United States, he made plans to move his family to Mexico. While visiting Mexico, Hansberry suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and died there on March 7, 1946.

The family's experience with racial segregation would serve as the inspiration for his daughter Lorraine Hansberry's award-winning play, "A Raisin in the Sun."

[edit] References

  1. ^ World War I Draft Registration Card, Roll #1439759
  2. ^ World War I Draft Registration Card (states place of birth as only Amite County, Mississippi), Roll #1439759
  3. ^ World War I Draft Registration Card (for brother William Leo Hansberry states place of birth as Gloster, Amite County, Mississippi), Roll #1685072
  4. ^ http://www.africawithin.com/hansberry/hansberry_profile.htm Africawithin.com Biography of brother William Leo Hansberry
  5. ^ 1910 U.S. Census, Amite County, Mississippi, household of Elijah Washington
  6. ^ World War I Draft Registration Card (shows place of residence as 5008 Wabash Avenue, Chicago, IL as June 5, 1917), Roll #1439759
  7. ^ Nannie Louise Hansberry, death certificate (1966), #003566, State of California, Department of Public Health, Sacramento, CA
  8. ^ 1900 U.S. Census, Columbia, Maury County, Tennessee, household of George W. Perry
  9. ^ Social Security Death Index
  10. ^ Social Security Death Index
  11. ^ Perry Holloway Hansberry, death certificate (2002), #0053346, State of California, Department of Public Health, Sacramento, California