Still a Brother: Inside the Negro Middle Class

In this 1968 documentary, filmmaker William Greaves explores the world of the Black American middle class. Combining interviews with civil rights activists, academics, and successful entrepreneurs with footage of Black galas and vacation destinations such as Martha’s Vineyard, the film examines what progress and discrimination actually mean for them.

Whether they play American football at a high level, run elementary schools, or work closely with white colleagues, no matter how far Black professionals climb the social ladder, exclusion and racism remain the norm. Greaves captures the tension between embracing a white middle-class lifestyle and the emerging Black Power movement, with its calls for Black pride and resistance.

Still a Brother is narrated by actor Ossie Davis and remains a powerful document about Black identity, class, and the racial divide in the United States. Despite all the progress that has been made, there is no escaping reality. When it comes down to it, you’re “still a brother.”