What happened Miss Simone captured the beauty, humanity and complexities of jazz and blues legend Nina Simone. It's a up close and personal view of her talent, her struggles, her joys and her sacrifices. The documentary tells the story of a woman who sacrificed career advancement to speak out against injustice during the civil rights movement, because she saw it as her duty to use her voice and talent for change. We see a mother whose internal struggles caused a rift in her relationship with her daughter; a wife maneuvering a complicated marriage with a man whom she simultaneously loved and despised; and a civil rights activist fighting to instill and protect the identify and dignity of her people.
Through all of this, the beauty and royal bearing of Ms. Simone shines through. She lived honestly in a way that affirmed her womanhood, her blackness and her black womanhood. Since watching I've been listening to Nina Simone songs on replay, my three favorites being: Young Gifted and Black, Backlash Blues and I Ain't Got Nothing, I Got Life. For some words of affirmation, I'll end this this post with Nina Simone Singing a live performance of Young Gifted and Black.