Ntozake Shange, Author of ‘For Colored Girls’ Passes Away at 70

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Author, playwright, and poet, Ntozake Shange has died at the age of 70.

Shange was notably recognized for her play, For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When Rainbow is Enuf, which was nominated for a Tony Award in 1975. The play chronicled the life of seven black women who all have had an experience with racism, sexism, violence, and rape. This play was later turned into a movie, directed by Tyler Perry in 2010.

According to Shange’s daughter, Savannah, Shange passed away in her sleep at an assisted living facility in Maryland. In 2004, Shange was reported to have suffered from multiple strokes.

Our thoughts and prayers are with her family at this time.