Remarks:

Nina Simone wrote this in memory of her friend, the late Lorraine Hansberry,. It reached the top ten on the US R&B charts in 1970. In the video she sings it on “Sesame Street” on February 18th 1972.

Lyrics:

To be young, gifted and black,

Oh what a lovely precious dream

To be young, gifted and black,

Open your heart to what I mean

In the whole world you know

There are billion boys and girls

Who are young, gifted and black,

And that’s a fact!

Young, gifted and black

We must begin to tell our young

There’s a world waiting for you

This is a quest that’s just begun

When you feel really low

Yeah, there’s a great truth you should know

When you’re young, gifted and black

Your soul’s intact

Young, gifted and black

How I long to know the truth

There are times when I look back

And I am haunted by my youth

Oh but my joy of today

Is that we can all be proud to say

To be young, gifted and black

Is where it’s at