I Am Somebody (1970): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1970, I Am Somebody is a documentary film directed by Madeline Anderson, running about 30 minutes.

What it’s about. Madeline Anderson’s documentary brings viewers to the front lines of the civil rights movement during the 1969 Charleston hospital workers’ strike, when 400 poorly paid Black women went on strike to demand union recognition and a wage increase, only to find themselves in confrontation with the National Guard and the state government. Anderson personally participated in the strike, along with such notable figures as Coretta Scott King, Ralph Abernathy and Andrew Young, all affiliated with Martin Luther King’s Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Anderson’s film shows the courage and resiliency of the strikers and the support they received from the local black community. It is an essential filmed record of this important moment in the history of civil and women’s rights. The film is also notable as arguably the first televised documentary on civil rights directed by a woman of color, solidifying its place in American film history.

Who’s in it. I Am Somebody stars Ralph Abernathy as Self, Coretta Scott King as Self, Andrew Young as Self and Claire Brown as Self - Narrator.

How it landed. With an audience score of 6.4/10, I Am Somebody has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.

Where to watch. In US you can stream it on Philo, Criterion Channel, OVID and Fandor Amazon Channel and rent or buy it from Amazon Video and Apple TV Store. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch I Am Somebody page.

If you liked it. Fans of I Am Somebody tend to enjoy One Direction: This Is Us, Burn the Stage: The Movie, BTS World Tour: Love Yourself - Japan Edition and Senna.