African American playwright Ntozake Shange passes away

Noted African American playwright Ntozake Shange, known for her works addressing sensitive issues related to racism, passed away at the age of 70.

Famous for her movie 'For Coloured Girls', Shange died during her sleep on Saturday morning. Her death was announced by her family on her official Twitter handle.

'For Coloured Girls' is an award-winning choreopoem- a format which combines poetry, dance, along with acting and music, which was later made into a film of the same name by Tyler Perry.

Whoopi Goldberg, Janet Jackson, and Kerry Washington were among those who starred in the 2010 film.

In one of her tweets, Washington, while referring to Shange, wrote "So grateful for her vision and voice."

Shange (a.k.a. Paulette Linda Williams) who is well known for her plays Daddy Says (1989) and From Okra to Greens/A Different Kinda Love Story (1983), wrote other choreopoems throughout her career which includes 'Mother Courage and Her Children' (1980).

She is survived by her sisters Ifa Bayeza and Bisa Williams, her brother Paul T. Williams, Jr. and her daughter Savannah Shange.