Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis (Finding Aid)

Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis

1924 - ; 1917 - 2005

Interview Length: 54 minutes

Interview Date(s): October 18, 2002

Interview Location(s): Chicago, Illinois

Abstract

In this 'An Evening With' series, Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee begin by talking about their participation in the campaign to free Angela Davis, their moderator for the evening, and their introduction to the Civil Rights Movement. They then recall their first theatrical role together and their subsequent marriage. Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee then discuss New York's theatrical community joined with Hollywood's film industry, fighting McCarthyism and the persecution of Paul Robeson during the1950s. They talk about their relationships with Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and their children's roles during the Civil Rights Movement. Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee detail their relationship with filmmaker Spike Lee and the movies in which they had acting roles. Lastly they discuss their current participation in world activism and the plight of Africa.

17 Stories (See Ordered Story Set)