Having Our Say: 
The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years

The book Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years by Sarah L. Delany, A. Elizabeth Delany, and Amy Hill Hearth began as a newspaper story about the sisters written by Hearth for The New York Times. 

 

Hearth's newspaper story was published Sept. 22, 1991 with the headline, "Two Maiden Ladies with Stories to Tell." Among those who read it was a Manhattan book publisher who contacted Hearth and asked if she would be interested in expanding her story into a full-length book. Hearth asked the sisters if they were interested, and they agreed to the project. 

 

The book is a work of oral history with section introductions written by Hearth that provide historical context to the sisters' words. "Initially the publisher had asked me to write a biography, but I convinced my editor that it should be a work of oral history," Hearth wrote in the Preface of Having Our Say. "The process turned out to be empowering for the sisters; the title comes from Bessie's frequent declaration, while I interviewed them: 'This is fun! We're having our say!' "

 

The book covers more than a century of American history from an exceedingly rare perspective: The voices, memories, opinions, and perspectives of two Black centenarian women who vividly recall the very first days of the Jim Crow era in the South; their relocation to New York City to earn advanced college degrees and launch groundbreaking careers, Sadie in teaching and Bessie in dentistry; their personal lives and joint decision to spurn marriage offers to pursue their professions; their participation in the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s and '30s; their observations and thoughts about the 1960s Civil Rights Movement in America; and their extraordinary insight into aging.  

 

The book was published Sept. 19, 1993 in hardcover by Kodansha America in New York, with trade and mass market editions published by Dell a year later. An ebook edition was published in January 2023 by Blackstone Publishing, along with a new audio edition with Robin Miles as narrator.

 

In 1994, the book spawned a Broadway play, and in 1999, a telefilm.

 

 

 

"A proud, vivid oral history" - Newsweek 

 

"A remarkable and charming oral history" - Publishers Weekly starred review

 

"Through the prism of poignant personal episodes, these honest, thoughtful reminiscences illuminate two individual lives and a multitude of encounters along gender and color lines." - Library Journal starred review

 

"Uplifting...fascinating...as much a historical record as a testimony to two extraordinary women. The Delany sisters recall their remarkable lives, spanning more than a century of the African-American experience. [A] delightful introduction to two splendid women of remarkable good sense and grace - and a chapter of history as well." - Kirkus Reviews starred review

 

"Having Our Say is...the tale of the [Delany] sisters' extraordinary lives, and an introduction to the social history of an important aspect of American culture during the last hundred years." - Bookpage

 

"The sisters are sometimes understandably testy, rarely openly bitter, always attractively colloquial in style, and adroit in making their points by anecdotal example. Their recollections are no credit to white society, but a great credit to the Delany sisters." - The Atlantic

 

"I felt proud to be an American citizen reading Having Our Say...The two voices, beautifully blended...evoke an epic history...often cruel and brutal, but always deeply humane" - The New York Times Book Review

 

"The Delany sisters were taught to participate in history, not just witness it, and they have the wit to shape their history with style...they make each memory vivid...they are literature's living kin." - Margo Jefferson, The New York Times

 

"The sisters recount a century of history better than any academic textbook."

- Ms. Magazine

 

"This engaging, affirmative chronicle will be savored, and shared, by general reader and scholar alike...A complex commentary on character, longevity and sisterhood...a fascinating glimpse of an almost hidden racial class...Having Our Say is, like the sisters themselves, a credit to the race and proudly individualistic."
- The Washington Post

 

"Occasionally a fresh voice rises above the literary rubble and commands our attention - in this case two voices do exactly that in a unique dual memoir filled with humorous anecdotes and astute observations about life in America...A rare look at black middle-class life and a chronicle of the remarkable achievements of the Delany family." - The Houston Post

 

"The Delany sisters' family involvements and century-long look at an accelerating kaleidoscope of social change make for informative, fascinating reading." - The Seattle Times

 

"An oral tale in the tradition of African 'griots.' The sisters are lively storytellers capable of taking you on a journey through American history without lulling you to sleep. " - Chicago Sun-Times

 

 

"This book is destined to become a classic! The Delany sisters...leave to us the best of legacies - two sets of dancing footprints for us to follow all our days ahead."

- Clarissa Pinkola Estes, New York Times bestselling author of Women Who Run with the Wolves

 

"A rare and uncensored view of a complex and often adversarial world...The book adds much to the annals of black life in America." - Shirlee Taylor Haizlip

 

"The Delany Sisters are a national treasure."

- Julian Bond

 

"The Delany sisters give our history a depth and significance that exceeds any history lesson...They have glorified the spaces and times in which I and my family lived [and] they are storytellers in the tradition of the African griot." - Ruby Dee 

 

 

What began, for me, as a routine writing project — a feature article for the Sunday edition of The New York Times — evolved not only into a book, but a truly extraordinary life experience. During the past two years, I have enjoyed spending countless afternoons with two of the world's most witty, wise, and lovable people — Sadie Delany and her "little" sister, Bessie, both more than 100 years old.

 

The three of us created Having Our Say, but we also created a friendship that transcended many differences, including race, for they are black and I am white. We also overcame an age gap of nearly seven decades. What did we have in common? Similar values, and the fact that we are women. Nothing more. Our friendship grew, nourished by trust, sharing, and the special intensity of creating the book together. Ultimately, our deep bond contributed greatly to the outcome of the book. It is the reason I was able to capture and portray all aspects of their personalities, including their marvelous sense of humor. It is the reason for the intimate feeling of the book. In that regard, the book and our friendship are one and the same.

 

Yet, I often found myself sitting in the Delany sisters' parlor, in "my" chair, whether or not we had planned to work on the book that day, and months after the sisters' role in creating the book was completed. Our relationship had grown BEYOND the book — far beyond.

 

My life and family background were important to them. One day, they made a reference to "the Surrender" — their term for the end of the Civil War at Appomattox Courthouse in Virginia. I mentioned that my great-great grandfather, a New Jersey volunteer, had been present at the historic event. They were so excited that we abandoned our plans to work on the book for the rest of the afternoon, while they drilled me on MY family history.

 

I realized early that the opportunity to spend so much time with the Delany sisters was a special gift. There were many times when I felt I'd "checked out" of the real world, and gone back in time to live another life. I absorbed the nuances of another culture, another America, another century. A world with no telephones, and where soap is something you make out of chicken fat and lye.

 

For the Delany sisters, retired for several decades, the book gave new meaning to their lives. For me, it provided an opportunity to work on a unique project. Indeed, creating the book together, we soon realized, was an achievement in itself. In the spring of 1992, when riots tore apart South Central Los Angeles, I remember saying that I wish there was something I could do about it. And Sadie Delany said to me: "Well, the three of us ARE doing something: This book!"

 

Perhaps no where else in America were white and black people engaged in such an intense, honest, on-going dialog about race. While Los Angeles burned, we talked. And talked.

 

"I don't believe I have ever gotten to know a white person as well as I know you," Bessie Delany finally said to me one day.

 

One of the most interesting things I learned from the Delany sisters is that in matters of race, individuals can indeed make a difference. This is because little things matter. The sisters fondly recall, for example, how a Jewish man named Mr. Steinberg encouraged them when they first moved from their native Raleigh, North Carolina, to Harlem during the First World War. Mr. Steinberg owned a butcher shop in the building where the sisters rented their first apartment, and although he never did anything more than smile and tease them, "Hurry up, don't be late," when they rushed off to school or work in the morning, it had an impact. His small gesture of kindness has not been forgotten, seventy-five years later.

 

Through the eyes of the Delany sisters, I came to see America in a way few white people have experienced. "You are starting to feel how WE feel," Bessie mused one day. "I had wondered if we would get to this point. You're not black, and you will never know EXACTLY how it feels, but this is as close as a white person can get."

 

But perhaps the moment of greatest personal satisfaction came when we agreed on the title — based on Bessie's tendency, during the creation of the book, of declaring with some glee: "We're having our say!" And I realized, at that moment, what enormous pleasure it has given me to be the person who has made that possible.

 

 

Questions by Arianna Reybitz, student at Univ. of South Florida, St. Petersburg.

Written answers by Amy Hill Hearth, author, Nov. 13, 2013.

May be used for educational purposes only. 

 

1. How did you gain the acquaintance of the Delany Sisters? What were they like? I've read the book you wrote with them (loved it, by the way) but I'd like to hear your side of the story directly from you.        

 

I was a reporter on regular assignment for The New York Times, based in Westchester County, N.Y. I was what they call a general assignment reporter, meaning that I would cover any topic at a moment's

notice - police, education, environment, politics, racial issues, you name it. I had been writing a story about segregation in the city of Yonkers, N.Y. and I interviewed several older African American residents at a community center in a neighborhood called Runyon Heights. Several of the women there mentioned that a journalist ought to interview two sisters whose last name was Delany. They were said to be centenarians who lived in Mt. Vernon. Although this had nothing to do with my story I was intrigued. How could there be a pair of centenarian sisters? How could they be living without assistance? They didn't have a telephone so it wasn't as if I could look them up and call. I could go to City Hall in Mt. Vernon and look through property tax files until I figured out where they lived, but by complete coincidence, a neighbor of the Delany Sisters wrote a letter to The New York Times suggesting that the paper send a reporter to interview them. One had just turned 100; the other was 102.

 

Well, that letter made its way around the newsroom and from floor to floor with no one wanting to do the story. Finally, it landed on my editor's desk. She sent it to me with a note saying this must be the pair of sisters I had mentioned and did I want to pursue it? I sure did, though I had to squeeze it into my schedule. I had a list of six stories I was working on, all of them more "urgent." Still, I contacted the neighbor who wrote the letter and managed to set up an appointment with the sisters. I love older people - my own Grandma lived to be 101 - and I was very eager to meet them. Bessie answered the door and, honestly, I was quite taken aback. She was fierce! Sadie was a sweetheart, however. At first, they weren't sure they wanted to be interviewed because they didn't see themselves as important. I had to persuade them that of course they were important, that their life experiences should be told and shared for the sake of history.

 

2. How was the film inspired, and who led the project? What was your role in production? Did Sadie and Bessie have any influence during filming, or any of their surviving relatives or acquaintances?

 

The book was already a New York Times bestseller when we were approached by Dr. Camille O. Cosby, an educator who is the wife of the actor Bill Cosby. There was other interest in Hollywood, too, but Camille wanted to do a Broadway play adaptation as well as a film, and she met with us and made a great impression. Sadie, Bessie, and I all felt that Camille would be respectful to the sisters' story. Camille hired me to be an advisor on both the Broadway play and film adaptations. My job, essentially, was to make sure that everything was done accurately and according to the sisters' wishes. The sisters themselves did not wish to be involved, at least on a daily basis. They relied on progress reports from me. I was far more involved than I expected, meeting with actors, set designers, costume designers, the director, and so on. Camille Cosby was very approachable and welcomed my input, which, I understand, is very rare for producers. Usually, writers are pushed out of the way.

 

3. Where and when was the film shot? When and where did it premiere? What awards did it get, if any?

 

Work on the film adaptation began in 1997. Filming began in 1998 and took place in Hollywood but also on location in North Carolina. Upon completion of the film, Hillary Rodham Clinton gave a private party at the White House for those of us involved in the production, followed by the first screening (later that same night) at the Kennedy Center. This was in April of 1999. Later that month, the film was aired for the first time as a CBS Sunday Night Movie. Nielsen ratings showed that the film was viewed that night by 22.2 million Americans. Sadly, neither of the sisters lived to see the film. (They did, however, see the play. I took them to a matinee on Mother's Day 1995. See Question 6.) The film adaptation won a Christopher Award for Television and an NAACP Image Award Nomination for Television, 1999. I, along with the producer and director, won a George Foster Peabody Award for my work on the film.

 

4. How were the actors chosen? How well do you think they portrayed you, the Delany sisters and all of their family and friends?

 

The producer and her producing partner, Judith Rutherford James, were heavily involved in casting. We were fortunate to get some of the very best talent, including Ruby Dee. I was thrilled that Amy Madigan was hired to play me because I've always admired her work. I think they all did a great job. Incidentally, the little girls who played Sadie and Bessie as children were not professional child actors. They were chosen during an open casting call held in Charlotte.

 

5. What was your part in writing the script? Would you say that it portrayed Sadie and Bessie's story honestly and thoughtfully? Or do you think they exaggerated or downplayed some aspects?

 

I was interviewed by the screenwriter for my insight and POV, and I reviewed and edited the script to make certain it was accurate. My official title was Advisor to the Producer. I would say that it's probably one of the most accurate films of its kind. The producer's intentions were honorable through-out, and she had me to oversee it for authenticity.

 

6. I heard that before the film, a Broadway adaptation was done based on the book. What are your thoughts on the theater production?

 

The Broadway play adaptation, also produced by Camille Cosby, premiered at the historic Booth Theater in New York City in April 1995. The play had a very good, solid run, ending on Dec. 31, and received three Tony Award nominations, including Best Play, 1995. There were two national touring companies after the Broadway run. My work on the play adaptation was similar to my role on the film production.

 

7. How long did filming take? What were the reasons for choosing the locations for shooting?

 

The filming was completed in about a year. It was decided that Saint Augustine's College in Raleigh had been too greatly altered for the purposes of our film. A suitable location in Charlotte was found instead.

 

Why Readers Love the Delany Sisters
Blog Post by Amy Hill Hearth

www.amyhillhearth.com

January 4, 2023

They were smart. Wise. Intuitive. Their stories from long ago were riveting and historically significant.

  

But what seemed to draw readers to Sadie and Bessie Delany, the late centenarian pair of sisters of Having Our Say fame, was the fact that they were utterly charming and completely genuine. In a society in which people are accustomed to artifice and manipulation, the Delany Sisters were a shock. In telling their story, they had no agenda, and readers could sense it immediately.

 

The day I met them in 1991, they were 100 and 102 years old, and I was a 33-year-old newspaper reporter. Talking to them was like time-travel. They reached back into the past with ease, and took me with them.    

 

They blew me away.

 

I was captivated by the way they interacted with one another, sister to sister, after living together for a century. When I got home that evening, the first thing I did was call my own sister, who is a year and a half older. I couldn't wait to tell her about the pair of centenarian sisters I had met that day, and how they were still giggling and quarreling about things that had happened a century ago when they were little girls. 

 

This was, I told my own sister, the sweetest thing I've ever witnessed.

 

It is this sweetness, this unvarnished charm, that flows through the book. I made sure to include it all. I didn't want the book to come across as too reverent which to me meant stale. I wanted readers to know what it felt like to be in my shoes while I observed them puttering in the kitchen, or listening from "my" chair in the parlor or at the dining room table. Happily, the sisters liked my approach. When I suggested that the book be a work of oral history rather than a third-person biography, they agreed to that as well. To me, the words they chose to tell their stories were as important as the stories themselves.

 

And so, Having Our Say is peppered with endearing expressions and anecdotes. The sisters, for example, referred to themselves quaintly as "maiden ladies," a term I had heard perhaps one other time in my life. When I asked the name of their cat, they explained cheerfully, "We call him Mr. Delany since we don't have a man in the house." When asked why they thought they had lived so long, they replied: "It's because we never married. We never had husbands to worry us to death!" And then they shrieked with laughter at their own joke. 

 

I could go on....and on. But it's all in the book for you to read, anyway. You'll learn a great deal of American history from the book. You'll see flashes of anger and sorrow as they tell their stories. You'll be appalled at some of it. But most of all, when you reach the last page, you'll realize you've fallen in love with the Delany Sisters.