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Here are several quotes of wisdom by **Lorraine Hansberry** – the playwright, activist, and author of *A Raisin in the Sun* – that reflect her sharp intellect, commitment to justice, and philosophical depth:



**1.** “Never be afraid to sit a while and think.”

– A call to pause and engage in deep reflection. For Hansberry, thinking wasn’t passive—it was a radical, empowering act.



**2.** “The thing that makes you exceptional, if you are at all, is inevitably that which must also make you lonely.”

– A recognition of the solitude that can accompany authenticity, creativity, or moral courage.



**3.** “I am not a symbol. I am flesh and blood.”

– From her speech *The Negro Writer and His Roots* (1959), challenging tokenism and asserting her full humanity in a society eager to categorize.



**4.** “There is always something left to love. And if you ain’t learned that, you ain’t learned nothing.”

– Spoken by the character Mama in *A Raisin in the Sun*, this line captures Hansberry’s belief in the redemptive power of love—even in hardship.



**5.** “Write about any and everything that hurts you… and you will surely touch the world.”

– A message to fellow writers about the transformative power of honest storytelling rooted in personal truth.



**6.** “Do I remain a revolutionary? Yes, I do. I think that the revolution is the only solution to the immense despair of the masses.”

– From a 1964 interview, Hansberry expressed unwavering belief in fundamental societal change, not just reform.



**7.** “The ultimate tyranny in a society is not control by the few, but the attempt by the many to force those few to live by a lie.”

– Her challenge to conformity and groupthink; Hansberry championed integrity, even against majority opinion.



Would you like reflections on how these could be used in writing or leadership contexts?

— Lorraine Hansberry, ChatGPT 4.0