Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years
1999 | 100m | English
Popularity: 0.8 (history)
| Director: | Lynne Littman |
|---|---|
| Writer: | Emily Mann, Sarah L. Delany, A. Elizabeth Delany, Amy Hill Hearth |
| Staring: |
| 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. | |
| Release Date: | Apr 18, 1999 |
|---|---|
| Director: | Lynne Littman |
| Writer: | Emily Mann, Sarah L. Delany, A. Elizabeth Delany, Amy Hill Hearth |
| Genres: | Drama, History, TV Movie |
| Keywords | woman director |
| Production Companies | CBS, Columbia TriStar Television, Dreyfuss / James Productions |
| Box Office |
Revenue: $0
Budget: $0 |
| Updates |
Updated: Jan 30, 2026 Entered: Apr 30, 2024 |
| Name | Character |
|---|---|
| Diahann Carroll | Sadie Delany |
| Ruby Dee | Annie Elizabeth 'Bessie' Delany |
| Amy Madigan | Amy Hill Hearth |
| Lisa Arrindell | Sadie in her 20s |
| Audra McDonald | Bessie in her 20s |
| Mykelti Williamson | Papa Delany |
| Lonette McKee | Mama Delany |
| Richard Roundtree | Booker T. Washington |
| Della Reese | Martha Logan |
| Ahmond | Henry Delany |
| Cameron Arnett | Lemuel |
| Nate Bynum | |
| Thomas Clark | Lucious |
| Sharlease Collier | Churchgoer |
| Brandon Crawford | Bag Boy |
| Cordereau Dye | Hubert Thomas Delany |
| Annie-Joe Edwards | New Tenant |
| Carter Gaston | Manross Delany |
| Micki Grant | Actress playing Sadie on Broadway |
| Kiara Harris | Sadie age 7 |
| April Jones | Harriet |
| Rebecca Koon | Miss Moseley |
| Patty Mack | Mildred |
| Lizan Mitchell | Actress playing Bessie on Broadway |
| Terry Nienhuis | Mr. Milliam |
| Clifton Powell | Frazier Johnson |
| Alison Robertson | Teacher |
| Bumper Robinson | Frank |
| Bobby Tyson | Hap |
| Alex Van | Drunk White Man |
| Camille O. Cosby | Broadway Audience Member (uncredited) |
| Tiffany LeShai McMinn | Student (uncredited) |
| Name | Job |
|---|---|
| Lynne Littman | Director |
| Emily Mann | Writer |
| Terence Blanchard | Original Music Composer |
| Sarah L. Delany | Book |
| A. Elizabeth Delany | Book |
| Amy Hill Hearth | Book |
| Dennis McCarthy | Original Music Composer |
| Frank Byers | Director of Photography |
| Mick McNeely | Gaffer |
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| Tony Amatullo | Producer |
| Organization | Category | Person |
|---|
Popularity History
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| 2024 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
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| 2024 | 6 | 3 | 11 | 0 |
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| 2025 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
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| 2025 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2026 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2026 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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