Alice Chidress (1990)

Playwright, novelist, actress, director and winner of numerous literary, academic, and community awards, Alice Childress has displayed a mastery of genre and vivid characterization that has brought her universal acclaim. Her plays, short stories, and novels illuminate the problems of prejudice and oppression in America with honesty, compassion, and a refusal to compromise. Childress’ willingness to treat the great social issues has made her an inspiration to a generation of artists. As actress and director, she was a pioneer for equity in the theater for African American artists and technicians. In public life, she continued to be a champion for the freedom of all artists in the world of ideas, and a voice for all the voiceless “have-nots in a have society.”