Explore Black History

1972

This film was a part of the Washington D.C. Public Library's circulating 16mm film collection housed at the Martin Luther King Jr. Central Library. The collection is particularly noted for the wide variety of African American and African diaspora content.

An experimental film with the title To Be Young, Gifted, And Black. It consists of three (3) reels of color 16mm acetate film with optical sound.
The film, through narration and reenactments, chronicles the life of African American playwright Lorraine Hansberry. In the opening scene, several individuals, including actors/actresses Ruby Dee, Claudia McNeil and Al Freeman, Jr. are seen seated at a table, taking turns reading excerpts from Lorraine Hansberry's work. The footage then cuts to a scene of a car driving on an empty road as a narrator describes Hansberry's experience of driving to Kentucky to visit her grandmother. The rest of the film continues in this manner, where reenactments of Lorraine Hansberry's life are interspersed with readings at the table, with each person at the table taking turns narrating.
Other events in Lorraine Hansberry's life that are depicted in the film include Hansberry receiving Christmas presents as a child; Hansberry being bullied at school for wearing white fur during a recession; Hansberry moving to New York City's Lower East Side and working for a publication in Harlem; interactions with her husband, Robert Nemiroff (Al Freeman); re-enactments of a performance of A Raisin in the Sun and its reception in the media.
In the closing scene, the actors read the following at the table, “July 28th …July 28th: Dr. Warren called last night. I’m flying to Boston on Friday to Lehi Clinic. There is something wrong with my intestinal system. Undated: If anything should happen before it is done, I trust that all the commas and periods will be placed and that someone will complete my thoughts. This last should be the least difficult, since there are so many who think as I do."

National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

DC Public Library Film Collection

Time-based Media - Moving Images

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Transferred from the DC Public Library

National Museum of African American History and Culture

2017.55.15.1abc

sound films
color films (visual works)
16mm (photographic film size)

Restrictions likely apply. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.

acetate film

Duration (Reel 1): 28 Minutes
Length (Film): 1000 Feet
Duration (Reel 2): 28 Minutes
Duration (Reel 3): 25 Minutes
Length (Film): 900 Feet

Title • To Be Young, Gifted, And Black

nmaahc_2017.55.15.1abc

NMAAHC

TO BE YOUNG, GIFTED, AND BLACK

National Museum of African American History and Culture

CC0

1970s

Schultz, Michael • Freeman, Albert Cornelius • D.C. Public Library • Hansberry, Lorraine • McNeil, Claudia • Dee, Ruby • Jones, Lauren

New York City • District of Columbia • United States • Chicago • North and Central America • Illinois • Kentucky • Cook County • Washington

Women • Activism • Literature • Actors and actresses • Experimental films • Theatre

City • Washington • State • District of Columbia • Country • United States • Continent • North and Central America • City • New York City • State • New York • City • Chicago • County • Cook County • State • Illinois • State • Kentucky

color films (visual works) • 16mm (photographic film size) • sound films

Restrictions Likely