Florence (1949), Alice Childress's first play, focuses on two women waiting in a train station. While Mama's interactions with the other characters serve to reveal the nature of racial prejudice, the play also examines basic assumptions regarding the public's treatment of women and the elderly.

Wine in the Wilderness (1969), also by Alice Childress, examines what it means to be a black American in a segregated and racist society. The play examines several of the issues touched upon in Wedding Band, including single motherhood and the lack of opportunity faced by black men.

A Raisin in the Sun (1959) by Lorraine Hansberry also explores segregation, racism, and the lack of economic opportunities that beset black Americans. The integration of white neighborhoods by minority families is still an important issue nearly forty years after this play was first produced.

Toni Morrison's novel The Bluest...