Simone introduced the song on August 17, 1969, to a crowd of 50,000 at the Harlem Cultural Festival, captured on broadcast video tape and released in 2021 as the documentary film Summer of Soul.
[1][2] Two months later, she recorded the song as part of her concert at Philharmonic Hall, a performance that resulted in her live album Black Gold (1970).
[3] A cover version by Jamaican duo Bob and Marcia reached number 5 on the UK Singles Chart in 1970.
[4] The title of the song comes from Lorraine Hansberry's autobiographical play To Be Young, Gifted and Black.
[7] "To Be Young, Gifted and Black" was written in memory of Simone's late friend Lorraine Hansberry, author of the play A Raisin in the Sun, who had died in 1965 aged 34.