Lorraine Hansberry was months away from dying of pancreatic cancer when she mustered up the energy to speak life into a group of Black teens. Her powerful speech sparked a movement and became legendary.
"I wanted to come here and speak to you on this occasion because you are young, gifted, and Black," Hansberry said to the students who had entered a creative writing contest. Musicians latched onto the phrase, and resolved to bring Hansberry's message to life through song.
Most famously, Nina Simone turned Hansberry's words into an empowering anthem meant to inspire Black children during the Black Power Movement.
Simone once said, "I remember getting a feeling in my body, and I said, 'That's it: to be young, gifted, and black. That's all.' And sat down at the piano and made up a tune. It just flowed out of me."
Her powerful rendition impressed other artists like Aretha Franklin and Donny Hathaway, who then covered the popular song. “Young, Gifted, And Black” could be considered the original version of “Black excellence,” a popular term now used to describe our community's giftedness.
Accolades don't make or break us; we can exist without chasing "excellence." Still, Hansberry's words remind us we are gifted people, capable of imagining, building, and being all that we desire.