Len Badia, Professor of Paralegal Studies and Criminal Justice, and Chief Clerk of the Suffolk County District Courts in Central Islip, has organized an outstanding presentation by Mr. Rudy Carmenaty, Esq., Deputy Commissioner for the Nassau County Department of Social Services, entitled, "Dreams Deferred Amongst Racial Covenants: The Supreme Court Case which Inspired Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In the Sun” which will take place on Monday, May 6, 2024, at 6:00 pm in the Riverhead Building Room 119 on the Ammerman Campus in Selden.
A Raisin in the Sun, the first Broadway production written by an African American woman, is based on the playwright's family ordeal which resulted in the United States Supreme Court's 1940 decision in Hansberry v. Lee (see attached decision). The play, which premiered on March 11, 1959, depicts the aspirations of the Youngers, a Black family on Chiago's South Side. The cast included Sidney Poitier, Ruby Dee, and Louis Gossett, Jr., and was staged by an African American director, Lloyd Richards.
In 1937 Mr. Hansberry purchased, through intermediaries, a house in a white enclave near the University of Chicago, which carried restrictive covenants specifically designed to keep African Americans from purchasing or renting in white neighborhoods. These restrictions ran with the land, so they were enforceable against all subsequent homeowners and/or occupants. Segregation was maintained by contract and sanctioned by courts of law.
This presentation is open to all students. Faculty are encouraged to bring their classes and/or encourage their students to attend this presentation.
Please let your students know about this very interesting part of recent history and law. The event announcement flyer, actual decision, a descriptive article from the Nassau Lawyer, and a copy of the presentation PowerPoints are attached for your review.
look forward to seeing you at this worthwhile, informative presentation.
Ron
Ronald A. Feinberg, Ph.D., Esq.
Academic Chair, Business, Accounting, Criminal Justice, & Paralegal Studies, Ammerman Campus
College Coordinator, Paralegal Studies Programs
Professor of Business Law
Suffolk County Community College
533 College Road
Selden, NY 11784
feinber@sunysuffolk.edu
