Say Brother | Observations of Brown Brilliance

Observations of Brown Brilliance
Program 906
Original Airdate: 11/24/1978

Subject Keywords
Afro-American singers
Afro-American women
Afro-American women poets
Opera
Oral interpretation of poetry
Poetry

Subject Genre
Public Affairs: Current Events

Personal Names
Angelou, Maya
Giovanni, Yolande Cornelia ("Nikki")
Harris, Hilda
Sanchez, Sonia
Stamper, Sam

Corporate Names
And Still I Rise (publication)

Program Description
Program focuses on the work of poet and actor Maya Angelou, whose new book of poems And Still I Rise was recently published. Host Barbara Barrow-Murray speaks with Angelou in-studio to discuss how she is inspired, how she measures success, poets that have inspired her (Paul Dunbar, William Shakespeare, Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, and Emily Dickinson), the impact of her mother on her life, publishing trends as they relate to minority writers, and her work as an actor (namely in the television series based on Alex Haley's Roots). Interview includes Angelou's readings of her poems "Phenomenal Women" and "Men," as well as Angelou's responses to questions from the studio audience. The second half of program features previously aired Say Brother segments, namely: Hilda Harris's studio performance of "This Little Light of Mine" (by John Work) and "The Segadilla" (an aria from the second act of Carmen by Georges Bizet) from 1977 when Harris was performing at the Berklee Performance Center, Say Brother interviews with Nikki Giovanni and Sonia 5X Sanchez from 1975, and an in-studio poetry reading of Sam Stamper's poem "Mary Lou" from 1977.

Producer
Barbara Barrow-Murray

Associate Producer
Melvin Moore

Director
Eric Himes
Conrad White

Host
Barbara Barrow-Murray

Guests
Maya Angelou

Others
Nancy Carey (intern)
Brian Clarke (assistant director)
Randy Gray (assistant cameraman)
Rebecca Hill (fashion consultant)
Dick Holden (camera)
Pat Kane (videotape recordist)
Tiit Koppel (lighting assistant)
Webster Lewis (theme music)
Gene Mackles (graphic designer)
Fran Mahard (scenic design)
Wil Morton (audio)
George Rivera (production assistant)
Kathy Smith (switcher)
Lee Smith (camera)
Aubrey Stewart (video)
John L. Sullivan (lighting director)
Conrad White (stage manager)
Eileen Yang (researcher)

Formats
Master (WGBH program)	2" videotape	A2-06118
Preservation master	beta SP cassette	AP-01418
Preservation master	digital beta cassette	AP-01418A
Viewing copy	3/4" cassette	1964-60
Viewing copy	VHS cassette	(item number not yet assigned)