Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters First 100 Years

by Sarah L. Delany, Amy Hill Hearth, A. Elizabeth Delany

Book Overview

"When you get real old, honey," says Bessie Delany, "you lay it all on the table. There's an old saying: Only little children and old folks tell the truth." In Having Our Say Bessie, age 101, and her... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 156836010X
• Release Date: September 1993
• Publisher: Kodansha USA
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 1.21 lbs.
• Dimensions: 6.1" x 0.9" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Beautiful, talented and Brilliant melanated biological sisters who lived beyond a century to share t

I loved the history of the 2 sisters, their careers paths and their experiences in an America where Jim crow laws were in place. The ladies were strong, independent thinkers raised by two empowered parents and the message was clear. You are not how others say you are, you come from a place of love, peace and intelligence ❤️.

A must read!

One of my very very favorite books of all time!! One that I loved so much I just could not part with it. Amazing story and written quite well. Inspirational. A fantastic read and I could not recommend it too much!

Good book

I have watched a movie about these ladies a couple times and really enjoyed the book as well. They will remarkable ladies.

a terrific book!

HAVING OUR SAY: THE DELANY'S FIRST 100 YEARS is simply one of the most engaging, educational and insightful memoirs I have read about two extraordinary women (Bessie and Sadie Delaney) who saw tremendous change and evolution in the world, over the course of (more than) a century. These two fiesty women penned this wonderful book, with an introduction by Amy Hill Hearth, and I remember well how phenomenal it was to see them interviewed together, on PBS, when the book went to press, prior to the release of a made-for-TV-movie version of their memoirs. This book is great for anyone looking to connect the present with the past; particularly through the eyes of two exceptional women who were born in South Carolina during the mid 1890s, experiencing racism firsthand (as two educated African-American women) and met many individuals who were instrumental in adding art, culture and brilliance to the Harlem Renaissance (a great cultural movement that took place between the 1920s and 1940s, in Harlem, New York, celebrating the cultural achievements of many African-American artists, musicians, dancers, photographers, writers, sculptors and radicals alike). What's more, these two women received college educations at time when it was unusual for Caucasian men to obtain them! Read this and tell two more people to check out the book, when you're through. Great reading!

Well worth a read

The short length and simple format belie the wisdom and inspiration contained in this book. Vignettes from the lives of two remarkable sisters, 102 and 104 years old, span the end of slavery and follow the continuum of American and black history to the present. Their lives, stories, and attitudes are admirable and this is a book well worth reading.

American History at its best

Having Our Say is a remarkable book written by Sadie and Bessie Delany that details their lives over a hundred year period. Bessie and Sadie grew up in a large family on the campus of Saint Augustine's school in Raleigh, North Carolina during the 90s. They led sheltered lives; Sadie was quiet and well mannered whereas Bessie was very quick to anger and opinionated. They were also very intelligent women who were taught early on to aim high. In a time when most people did not go to school beyond high school, Bessie and Sadie received college degrees. Bessie became the second black woman to practice dentistry in New York. Sadie became the first black home economics teacher in a New York high school. The Delany sisters spoke their minds, and what they give the reader is a story of pure American history.This autobiography is filled with stories about racism and how it affected their lives. Sadie and Bessie lived together for over a hundred years. Although the sisters are deceased, their story and words of wisdom live on in the hearts and minds of readers.I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in American History. This book is the best history book I've read and the pictures in the book make the story come alive.Reviewed by Dorothy Cooperwood

One of the greatest autobiographies in American literature

I read this book when it first came out in 1993, and I still read it for inspiration. I am trying to get some copies for a African American History program coming up and I recalled that I never did a review on this great book, so here I am. Now these ladies have really told a marvelous story on their lives. It is honest,to the point, and a great oral history from two ladies who told it from the hip and wasn't ashamed of it neither. I was sorry to hear that they both passed on, but thank God, we still have their books to remember them by. Personally, this book should be read by every American,non American and every African American who feels that in spite of obstacles they can't make it. well, here are two examples that did. One was a school teacher and one was a dentist and both worked during segregation. Their whole family were college educated as well. I really liked Bessie. She could have kept you laughing. I know that this is probably not telling you much about these ladies, but take my word for it, once you read it, you won't be disappointed when you do.

Excelent. A must read for all U.S. history classes.

These sisters walk you through, in their owe voices, 100 years of history. With their incredible stories, that will touch you deeply, they remind you of the strength you should have to get through life. They have become heros with their humor and courage that carried them through some of the toughest times in America : racism, sexism and poverty. They understand what hard work, education, independence and a good attitude can bring: fulfillment, happiness and a healthy, healthy heart. Although the book is often listed under African-American and women's studies, it should be found in every classroom in the country and required reading for all U.S. history classes. There are no better history lessons than those who have lived to tell it in their own voices.