Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years

7.3
19991h 40m

Tells the story of Sadie and Bessie Delany, two African-American (they preferred "colored") sisters who both lived past the age of 100. They grew up on a North Carolina college campus, the daughters of the first African-American Episcopal bishop, who was born a slave, and a woman with an inter-racial background. With the support of each other and their family, they survived encounters with racism and sexism in their own different ways. Sadie quietly and sweetly broke barriers to become the first African-American home-ec teacher in New York City, while Bessie, with her own brand of outspokenness, became the second African-American dentist in New York City. At the ages of 103 and 101, they told their story to Amy Hill Hearth, a white New York Times reporter who published an article about them. The overwhelming response launched a bestselling book, a Broadway play, and this film.

Production

Logo for Columbia TriStar Television
Logo for CBS

Cast

Photo of Diahann Carroll

Diahann Carroll

Sadie Delany

Photo of Ruby Dee

Ruby Dee

Annie Elizabeth 'Bessie' Delany

Photo of Amy Madigan

Amy Madigan

Amy Hill Hearth

Photo of Lisa Arrindell

Lisa Arrindell

Sadie in her 20s

Photo of Audra McDonald

Audra McDonald

Bessie in her 20s

Photo of Lonette McKee

Lonette McKee

Mama Delany

Photo of Richard Roundtree

Richard Roundtree

Booker T. Washington

Photo of Della Reese

Della Reese

Martha Logan

Photo of Rebecca Koon

Rebecca Koon

Miss Moseley

Photo of Lizan Mitchell

Lizan Mitchell

Actress playing Bessie on Broadway

Photo of Clifton Powell

Clifton Powell

Frazier Johnson

Photo of Alex Van

Alex Van

Drunk White Man

Photo of Tiffany LeShai McMinn

Tiffany LeShai McMinn

Student (uncredited)

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