Lorraine Hansberry's family background deeply influenced her plays, particularly her acclaimed work, A Raisin in the Sun. Growing up in a Black family during the struggles of Jim Crow laws, Hansberry faced racial discrimination, which she articulated through her writing. Her experiences with her family's fight for housing rights sparked her interest in issues of identity, race, and social justice. She became a critical voice in American theater, advocating for the representation of African American struggles and aspirations.