The Lorraine Hansberry Initiative

"Don’t get up. Just sit a while and think. Never be afraid to sit a while and think."
— Lorraine Hansberry

The Lillys are thrilled to embark on an exciting new initiative that celebrates one of America’s greatest playwrights.

Executive Director Julia Jordan and Lilly Board Member Lynn Nottage are heading up this initiative, with help from NYC’s Arterventions program.

In 2022, the Lorraine Hansberry Initiative will launch with a national tour of a sculpture by Alison Saar, and a unique scholarship to cover not only the tuition but the living expenses of women and non-binary BIPOC dramatic writers in graduate school.