▁Del any , ▁two ▁African - American ▁( they ▁preferred ▁" color ed ") ▁sister s ▁who ▁both ▁lived ▁past ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 1 0 0 . ▁They ▁grew ▁up ▁on ▁a ▁North ▁Carolina ▁college ▁campus , ▁the ▁daughters ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁African - American ▁Epis cop al ▁bishop , ▁who ▁was ▁born ▁a ▁slave , ▁and ▁a ▁woman ▁with ▁an ▁inter - ra cial ▁background . ▁With ▁the ▁support ▁of ▁each ▁other ▁and ▁their ▁family , ▁they ▁surv ived ▁enc oun ters ▁with ▁rac ism ▁and ▁sex ism ▁in ▁their ▁own ▁different ▁ways . ▁Sad ie ▁quietly ▁and ▁sweet ly ▁broke ▁bar riers ▁to ▁become ▁the ▁first ▁African - American ▁home - ec ▁teacher ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁City , ▁while ▁B ess ie , ▁with ▁her ▁own ▁brand ▁of ▁out sp ok enn ess , ▁became ▁the ▁second ▁African - American ▁dent ist ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁City . ▁At ▁the ▁ages ▁of ▁ 1 0 3 ▁and ▁ 1 0 1 , ▁they ▁told ▁their ▁story ▁to ▁Amy ▁Hill ▁H ear th , ▁a ▁white ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁rep orter ▁who ▁published ▁an ▁article ▁about ▁them . ▁The ▁over wh el ming ▁response ▁launched ▁a ▁best s elling ▁book , ▁a ▁Broadway ▁play , ▁and ▁this ▁film . ▁ ▁Jack ie ▁Mason ' s ▁Polit ically ▁In correct : ▁Political ▁talk ▁show ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁idea ▁that ▁debate ▁is ▁st if led ▁by ▁too ▁much ▁serious ness . ▁Gu ests ▁are ▁chosen ▁from ▁the ▁world s ▁of ▁politics ▁and ▁entertain ment