Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years 24 years old

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.

Credits

Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years Cast

Name Character
Ruby Dee She was 76, 91 years old when she died as Annie Elizabeth 'Bessie' Delany
Diahann Carroll She was 63, 84 years old when she died as Sadie Delany
Amy Madigan She was 48, now 73 years old as Amy Hill Hearth
Lisa Arrindell She was 30, now 55 years old as Sadie in her 20s
Audra McDonald She was 28, now 53 years old as Bessie in her 20s

Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years Crew

Name Department
Lynne Littman as Director. She was 57 (now 82) years old Directing
Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years (24 years)

  • Release day: Sunday, April 18, 1999
  • Runtime: 100 minutes