When I Rise

In the years since the major civil rights struggles of the mid-1900s, quiet studies of courage have emerged. Filmmaker Mat Hames' documentary—aired on PBS' Independent Lens series—offers one such example, the story of Barbara Smith Conrad, a black woman from a musical family in East Texas. Hoping to become a professional singer, Conrad entered the University of Texas in Austin, but after winning the lead in a university opera, a furor arose because she was playing a romantic role opposite a white man. State legislators weighed in, Conrad began receiving threats, and UT officials asked her to withdraw from the production. Conrad's winding path to reconciliation and forgiveness in the years since is recounted here, as she describes her small-town upbringing, the early inspiration of Marian Anderson, and her shock and disappointment when she was confronted with the brutal realities of racism circa 1957. She expresses gratitude to a small group of white supporters and fondly remembers Harry Belafonte, who brought her to New York and gave her a part on his television show. Her subsequent musical triumphs included singing before Pope John Paul II and teaching a master class in music at her alma mater. Not one to remain bitter, Conrad returns to her hometown to receive an award from the University of Texas and accolades from the state legislature that once spurned her. Upbeat and inspiring, this is recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (S. Rees)