Nina Simone on BBC HARDtalk, 1999

HARDtalk at 20: In 1999 Tim Sebastian sat down with the singer and activist Nina Simone. With her vocal performances and civil rights activism, she built a fearsome reputation as someone not to be messed with. She worked with Martin Luther King and once even shot at someone who threatened to cheat her in a business deal.

[ReginaDillard]

Nina Simone on men: “I’m a star and I’m a woman and they have to deal with the two”. Straight, no chaser.

[HARMONICLIFE]

Interviewer: "So you sing from anger?"
Nina: "No, I sing from don't want them to think that I don't know who they are."

QUEEN NINA.

[vwiggins]

I love it when she says I'm unlucky in marriage not unlucky-in-love that's brilliant

[NaanaStephens]

I'm glad I got to meet her. Lived with her in Ghana when she came for holidays in the late 90s. I was a child like 9, but I remember she was so nice. May she rest in peace.

[afrobluatlanta]

She reminds me of Maya Angelo... so poised and deliberate. No stammering or animation. Just pure delivery.

[AR-oihg]

She didn’t stray away from any questions. She answered quickly and intelligently, even if her speech was moving slow. Her mind was still moving 100 mph

[anthonyyoung]

You can tell she’s a very fast thinker, that interviewer couldn’t even finish his question and she already had a response, a very smart response. Respect

[calvinpegus]

Viola Davis would be amazing in a movie portrayal of Nina

[dinomightstudios]

People really wanted her to be the “Angry black woman”... like people have to understand what anger is. People often mistake passion for anger. She was handling herself so well, it really showed the interviewer’s ignorance.

[modestlycrowned]

“I need a cigarette!” took me OUT 😂😂😂😂😂 I love the older generation and their lack of f***s to give!

[tundetedd]

Some people just born with royalty in their blood. She’s one of them. Amazing talent, amazing confidence, amazing personality, amazing honesty.

[kukuakukua]

Interviewer: let's have you admit to being an angry black woman. Nina: oh no sweetie, I'm not an angry black woman, I'm an intelligent woman

[rueben]

"I believe in all religions because the sheep need something to follow" 😂😂😂 You have to just love this queen.

[johnh]

even when she speaks it comes out like a song. her voice is spectacular

[taylorduvernay]

Interviewer: "so when you left America in 1972 you left

Nina: "racism, racism, I couldn't stand it, still can't stand it!!!!

[kayc.]

Unapologetically beautiful..It’s 2020 and I smiled the entire interview because of its relevancy and realness.

[imansharif]

Nina says” I was born poor but I had loads of love”
indeed this is what money can’t buy

[gregmacd]

What an amazing human being, no apologies, no BS, no filler, you have to love a woman that has something to say.

[brownwithacrown]

Anger has its place. Anger has fire, and fire moves things.

[saint_silver]

She had a tough life battling her mind and her body, you can see the weariness of the years of fight in this interview. But her mind, her conscience, her intelligence are sharp as ever. Nothing but respect.