Madeline Anderson

Madeline Anderson is an African-American television and documentary producer, director, editor and writer. She is best known for her films Integration Report One (1960) and I Am Somebody (1970), the latter of which garnered national and international acclaim.

Anderson is also known for being the first African-American woman to executive-produce a nationally aired television series. She was inducted into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame in 1993 alongside actress Rosalind Cash.

Madeline Anderson grew up in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where she developed a passion for film and teaching. Each Saturday, she would regularly attend the movie theatres with family and friends. During those screenings, Anderson felt that the films she saw did not reflect her reality. She wanted to see real African Americans that she could relate to. This is one of the reasons why she gravitated towards educational documentary filmmaking. This direction also enabled her to incorporate her passion for teaching.

Her family and friends were surprised and hesitant to learn that she wanted to become a filmmaker because they often equated filmmaking with Hollywood and it was common knowledge that a black woman could not aspire to be a Hollywood filmmaker. They encouraged her to become a teacher instead. She pursued this career path by attending Millersville State Teacher's College, where she was the only black student. At college, she experienced racism and harassment from mostly young white males. On one occasion, her father had to take the bus and go to school with her in order to prevent any possible harassment. To the disappointment of her parents, Madeline dropped out after her first year. She promised her parents that she would return to school on the condition that she didn't have to return to Millersville.

For the next two years, Anderson worked at a factory to raise enough money to move to New York. She eventually received a partial scholarship at New York University (NYU). Still passionate about motion pictures, she eventually decided to pursue a career in film.

While still studying at NYU, Madeline Anderson sought to establish connections which would get her into the industry. Still searching for work, she decided to answer a job ad as a babysitter boarder for Richard Leacock, a well-known British documentary filmmaker and a pioneer in Direct Cinema and Cinéma vérité. She got the job; and while living with the family, she expressed her ambitions to become a filmmaker and was met with their support. Her learning experiences in producing and directing films were obtained while working with Richard Leacock.

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