Childress, Alice (1916?-1994), was an African American novelist and playwright. Childress became known for her irreverent descriptions of American race relations and the wide range of African American characters in her plays. Childress often incorporated African American history into her fiction to inspire young people to use heroic Black individuals of the past as role models.
Childress became best known for her young adult novel A Hero Ain’t Nothin’ but a Sandwich (1973). The central character is Benjie Johnson, a 13-year-old heroin addict living in the Harlem district of New York City. When the novel was first published, it created controversy because of its realistic portrayal of a drug addict’s world. The novel is told from Benjie’s point of view, as well as from the point of view of people around him, including his mother, stepfather, drug dealer, friends, and teachers. The author makes no judgments about Benjie or the people in his life. She concentrates instead on their moods and motivations.
Childress wrote two other novels for young adults. They are Rainbow Jordan (1981) and Those Other People (1989). Her first novel was an adult work, Like One of the Family (1956). It initially appeared as a series of newspaper articles and was then published in book form in 1956. She published another adult novel, A Short Walk, in 1979. Beginning in 1949, Childress wrote many plays on racial themes, notably Trouble in Mind (1955) and Wedding Band (1966). She also wrote screenplays, including the screenplay for the motion-picture version of A Hero Ain’t Nothin’ but a Sandwich (1978).
Alice Childress revealed little about her personal life. She was born in Charleston, South Carolina, probably on Oct. 12, 1916. Her birth name may have been Louise Henderson or Harrington, but she later used the name Alice Herndon. She grew up in Harlem. During the 1930’s, she married Alvin Childress, an actor. Childress began her literary career in the theater. She worked in the American Negro Theatre in New York City from about 1940 to 1952. Childress was an actress and director with the company as well as a playwright. She died on Aug. 14, 1994.
