December 19-20, 2009
Watched "A Raisin in the Sun" while snowed in -- the original film version. Never will get enough of this Lorraine Hansberry masterpiece. Hansberry knew the aspirations, frustrations, temptations, and jubilations of her people in this country. Even knowing the film well, my heart was pounding with anticipation. This is what I want to teach my minority students: know the aspirations, frustrations, temptations, and jubilations of your families in this land of America. Watch, listen, learn, grow, give. Let's teach our young people that. We don't serve them well when we don't share with them their own history. I have many favorite lines from the film, not the least of which is: "He came into his manhood today." I almost broke down when Claudia McNeil spoke that line, gushing with pride and certainty. (Black men and black women can disagree -- even fight, yet STILL hold each other up.)
