PBS Documentary On Revolutionary Playwright Lorraine Hansberry To Premiere In January 2018

The highly-anticipated PBS documentary on famed playwright and activist Lorraine Hansberry is officially on the way.

After releasing the trailer for the documentary, Sigthed Eyes/Feeling Heart, in September 2017, PBS announced on Monday that viewers can expect to see the project air in full on January 19, 2018. As part of the network’s American Master’s “Inspiring Woman” campaign, the program will chronicle the little-known story of Hansberry’s upbringing and delve deeper into several significant moments before, during and after her journey to becoming the first Black woman to create a play that was performed on Broadway.

Narrarated by talented actress LaTanya Richardson-Jackson, the documentary will feature rare interviews with some of the most revered Black entertainers of our time, including Ruby Dee, Harry Belafonte, Sidney Poitier and Louis Gossett Jr. Award-winning actress Anika Noni Rose will be heard as the voice of Hansberry throughout the program.  

In addition to the many history-making accolades she received as the mastermind playwright behind A Raisin in the Sun , Hansberry was also known as a feminist and outspoken civil rights advocate who never hesitated to incorporate her activism into her art. A close friend of iconic songstress and a fellow activist Nina Simone, Hansberry was also the inspiration behind Simone’s infamous song, “To Be Young, Gifted And Black,” which Simone released as a tribute to Hansberry following her death from pancreatic cancer in 1965 at just 34 years old.

American Masters — Lorraine Hansberry: Sighted Eyes/Feeling Heart premieres nationwide on Friday, January 19 at 9 p.m. on PBS.