Social Issues-“Raisin In the Sun”

Ben Amerio

1950’s PresentDay

Summary

The play “Raisin In the Sun”, was set in the 1950’s in Chicago. This play focuses on the struggle that a colored family, the Younger’s, go through. Some of the struggles this family goes through includes, racial discrimination, financial difficulties, and abortion. As seen in the play these issues are very prominent in this 1950’s society. But how prominent are these issues still today?

Racial Discrimination

1950’s• In 1950, only 18% of white people

lived in poverty, while 56% of African Americans lived in poverty.

• African Americans average income- $3,828 vs. Whites average income- 7,057

Present Day• In 2009, 66% of all people

arrested were non-whites.• African Americans make up 57%

of people in state prisons for drug offenses.

Financial Difficulties

1950’s• In the 1950’s, the poverty

rate in America was just over 30%.

• The Poverty Line in 1950 was around $7,000 for a household with 4 people.

Present Day• In 2013, the poverty rate was down to

14.5%.• The Poverty Line in 2013 was $23,550

for a household with 4 people.

Abortion1950’s Present Day

• Since the legalization of abortion in 1973, there have been many efforts to re-illegalize abortion due to peoples beliefs and/or religion. From 1996 to 2011, abortion has dropped from 1.36 million to 1.06 million. Also, Ruth mentioned in the play that she put a $5 down payment on her abortion. In 2011 the average cost a non-hospital abortion was $451. This price has increased for two reasons. 1- The effort to stop abortions. 2- The inflation that has occurred in the past 50-60 years.

This chart shows the women who died from illegal abortions from 1941-1980. At the time of the play, abortion was illegal. This was a large issue at the time because there was a higher risk of death when getting an abortion.