'For Colored Girls' playwright, Ntozake Shange is dead

Her family confirmed her passing on social media. Shange was 70.

“To our extended family and friends, it is with sorrow that we inform you that our loved one, Ntozake Shange, passed away peacefully in her sleep in the early morning of October 27, 2018,” their statement read. “Memorial information / details will follow at a later date.
The family of Ntozake Shange.”

To our extended family and friends, it is with sorrow that we inform you that our loved one, Ntozake Shange, passed away peacefully in her sleep in the early morning of October 27, 2018. Memorial information / details will follow at a later date.
The family of Ntozake Shange

— Ntozake Shange (@NtozakeShange1) October 27, 2018

For Colored Girls is a story which shows the experiences of seven black women through monologue and dance, and discusses topics of sexism, rape, and domestic violence. The play has long been considered a benchmark for black female writers and also inspired a book, film, and Tony Award-nominated Broadway play.

According to the Washington Post, Shange was a deep source of inspiration for black female artists and thinkers. #MeToo founder Tarana Burke and Pulitzer Prize winner and playwright Lynn Nottage have discussed how she impacted their lives, with Nottage calling Shange “our warrior poet/dramatist.”