Special Collections

Say Brother

Say Brother is GBH’s longest-running public affairs television program by, for and about African Americans, now known as Basic Black. In April 2000, the GBH Archives in Boston was awarded a National Endowment for the Humanities Archives and Special Collections Preservation and Access grant to arrange, describe, and reformat master Say Brother programs dating from 1968 to 1982 to keep the collection accessible. GBH welcomes you to explore this invaluable programming, whether performance, political commentary, or conversations with distinct voices from the African American community.

View project staff and funding.

The Art of Black Dance and Music perform dances from the harvest festival Kwanzaa Assassination of Amilcar Cabral Australian aborigines visit Franklin Park Barbara Barrow comments on Judge Garrity's altered desegregation plan Ben Lee comments on employment in Chinatown garment industry Beverly Smith redefines politics in light of the feminist movement Billy Wilson Black Nativity Black Solidarity Day 1972 Blast From the Past with actor Julian Mayfield Blast from the Past with Chico Neblett Blast From the Past with Cleve Sellers Blast from the Past with FCC Commissioner Benjamin Hooks Blast From the Past with Jesse Jackson Blast from the Past with musician Jerry Iceman Butler Blast From the Past with poet and playwright Amiri Baraka Blast from the Past with Raymond St. Jacques Blast from the Past with Rhody McCoy Blast from the Past with vocalist Miriam Makeba blues and folk singer Elizabeth Cotten Bobby Seale interview Boston Art Ensemble perform in the Say Brother Studio Boston based artists discuss the meaning of Black art Boston teenagers discuss the Darryl Williams shooting Brenda Verner comments on women's rights movement Brown Sugar in concert Buddy Guy and Junior Wells Cannonball Adderley and the Cannonball Express Caroline Hunter comments on the struggle for African liberation Cast members discuss the The Wiz, based on L. Frank Baum's Wizard of Oz Cecil Taylor interview Chuck Turner interview The classical heritage of African American musicians Clif Saunders discusses self-determination in the Native American community Cooper Community Center Copps Hill Burial Ground Creation of the Mashpee District in 1685 Curtis Mayfield and The Impressions perform "We're A Winner" David O. Ives discusses the origin of Say Brother on WGBH Television David Sakura recalls life in Japanese detention camps in the United States during World War II Dealin' with poet and Pan African supporter Haki Madhubuti The death of Steve Biko The debate about bilingual education in America Demonstration of martial arts swordplay Development of education systems in the Caribbean Dick Lane remembers Dinah Washington Dinizulu Kamau and Abdullah Khalil Sabree comment on the Hakim Jamal murder case Dinizulu Kamau discusses violence against inmates in the Departmental Segregation Unit (DSU), 10 Block Discrimination and racism in the construction community Diversifying the job base in the Chinese American community Divisiveness within the Black community Documenting African American history Dr. Emillio Carillo comments on healthcare in the Latino community The Earth is a Perfect Mother by Ron Skenandore Eartha Kitt talks about her early childhood Ed Redd and Raymond Jordan debate why most African Americans are Democrats E.L. Jones performs Othello Elma Lewis reads the poem "Sympathy" by Paul Lawrence Dunbar End to experimental school project in Boston Eritrean People's Liberation Front Ethnic history of Puerto Rico Eva Jessye: Black American Folk Music Everett Goodwin reads from his poem To A Down and Out Brother Falling standards in Boston Public Schools Feelings of exclusion from the political process in the African American Community For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow is not Enuf Franz Minuty discusses voodooism From Puerto Rico's Point of View Gregory Spence comments on new testing criteria for students Guinea Bissau Conflict Henry F. Owens, III, comments on the death of Levi Hart Henry Johnson comments on significance of the 1972 African Liberation Day March Highland Park Free School Hilda Harris performs Bizet's The Segadilla Historical justifications for the institution of slavery History of Black Capitalism in the United States History of Chinese Americans in Massachusetts Howard Hughes of the Dimock Community Health Center Howlin' Wolf in concert Indian Child Welfare Act Is Photography a valid art form Jean McGuire on the need for a greater supply of African American teachers Jerry Cummings interview
Jim Cooper reads Why Apes Look Like People Jim Yee comments on commercial development of Park Plaza and Lafayette Place Joe Manong discusses his flight from South Africa John Bryant criticizes the Boston School Committee Joseph Monserrat interview Joseph Nelson reminsices about Josephine Baker June Cross Special Report on desegregation Lack of equal opportunities for African American women in the workplace Lack of minority representation in the jury system Lack of services available to women prisoners Larry Johnson and Jack Jackson perform "John Henry" Local reaction to the New Bedford protests Local residents comment on political candidates Local residents comment on the cost of living Lyle Lane discusses mutual exchange program between United States and Cuba Marcia Ann Gillespie on affirmative action for women in the workplace Mario Valdes discusses Black divinities Martin Luther King Jr.'s March on Washington Mashpee Indian lawsuit against the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Maya Angelou reads her poem "Phenomenal Women" The meaning of Kwanzaa Melnea Cass Interview Melvin Van Peebles interview Mississippi Fred MacDowell Momodou Ceesay talks about the function of an artist Muhammad Ali and the Vietnam War Muhammad Ali press conference at the Elma Lewis School of Fine Arts Negro Masonry in the United States Nia Anderson performs in The Commitment Normalization of relations with Communist China Orchestra Pabon in concert Owusu Sadaukai urges boycott of goods from African Countries Panel discussion of Black Power on University Campuses Panel discussion on violence against women Philip Hart discusses the history of the New School for Children and Roxbury Community College Pianist Randy Weston performs "The Healers" Poet Larry Roland performs live in the Say Brother studio poet Nikki Giovanni Portrayal of women in African art Press Conference Racial mix of welfare recipients in the United States Racial stereotyping in 19th Century trade cards Racism in the feminist community Racism in the United States Army during the Vietnam War Ralph H. Metcalfe on the Panama Canal Randall Robinson Comments on Ways to Oppose Apartheid Regents of the University of California v. Bakke case Relationship between African Americans and the two party system Remembering the Savoy Cafe Retirement facilities for elderly African Americans Ricardo Austrich on cutting all ties between Cuba and the United States Rise of Minority Affairs reporting in the United States Robert Lenzner uncovers the Polaroid scandal in South Africa The Role of Black Journalists Role of Independent African Countries in the United Nations Role of students in the creation African American Studies Programs Ron Karenga and the origin of Kwanzaa Ronald Ingram Gospel chorus Ronnie Laws talks about his early musical influences Rudy Pierce interview Saim Kinte recalls his first meeting with Alex Haley Sanola Say Brother commentary on the current penal system Scenes from the 1980 St .Croix carnival Sheryl B. Graves interview Sixto Escobar talks about the cultural importance of folk music Solar Visions performing live in Say Brother studio Sonia Sanchez on the teachings of the Nation of Islam South West Corridor Land Development Project Street Dancers Bash rehearsing the song "Runnin" Sunfire perform "Soka Jame" in the Say Brother studio Superfly Teachings of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad Teenagers discuss youth marriage in the Say Brother studio Themba Vilakazi discusses the apartheid regime in South Africa Tom Satch Sanders Tom Satch Sanders teaches basketball to African American children Unspoken segregation in Boston public schools Vignette on the struggle to find employment Voting irregularities in black polling places Walpole: An Examination of Why Walter Leonard talks about the purpose of Affirmative Action programs Western Nations failure to censure South Africa