DD2 final.docx - Dinkins1 Dominique Dinkins Tara Thompson...

Dinkins1
Dominique Dinkins
Tara Thompson
ENG1302
4/25/2021
For Colored Girls
Ntozake Shange was an African American playwright and poet. Shange was and African
American Feminist that addressed both racial issues as well as black power ideas through her
writings. Shange attended a predominantly white school where she recalled being harassed on
many occasions. While trying to complete her undergrad degree Shange decided to marry.
Unfortunately, this marriage did not last and caused her much heart ache. Following her divorce,
Shange struggled with who she was and what her role in society and lead her to multiple
attempts at taking her own life. This was a way Shange believed she could be in control of her
life. These attempts on her own life during the most trying times of her life lead to her writing
“For Colored Girls who tried committing suicide.” This story was later re-created by Tyler
Perry.
The main idea of Shange writing “For Colored Girls,” was to mimic and express how
women who dealt with issues including; racism, sexism as well as self-acceptance, chose to deal
with them. In her eyes many women of color deal with these issues and are never able to express
how they deal with these issues and the effects it has on them. Shange believed her story would
open the door for them to see that these women were not alone in their feelings and that taking
their own life was not a solution for easing their discomfort and pain.
Shange made it very clear that she was going to use her own experiences as well as those
experiences from women she knew in her story. For Colored Girls , was portrayed in a play that