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
Toward the end of 1968, Nina Simone had begun working with a young, multi-talented musician, Weldon Irvine, and with him she had written "Young, Gifted and Black" as a way of paying homage to her longtime friend, playwright Lorraine Hansberry (best known for "Raisin in the Sun").
Released as a single in November 1969, it became Nina's biggest RCA hit, reaching the Top 10 on the R&B charts. More importantly, it became an important statement that reflected the increasing desire to express pride in the achievements of African-Americans. This was the dawning of a new day and Nina and Weldon were verbalizing a culture's state of mind with their uplifting message of encouragement and empowerment. Not surprisingly, the song has gone on to become the most recorded item in Nina's repertoire, spawning versions by Aretha Franklin, Donny Hathaway, Dionne Warwick and '70s reggae stars Bob & Marcia, among others.
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David Nathan, liner notes for CD Sugar in my Bowl
Lyrics provided for academic research purposes only. Commercial use is prohibited.
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