St. Clair Bourne

Who was St. Clair Bourne?

St. Clair Bourne was an American documentary filmmaker, who focused on African American social issues and themes. He also developed projects which explored African American cultural figures, such as Langston Hughes and Paul Robeson.

Born in Harlem, he moved to Brooklyn when he was two years old. In 1965, the Peace Corps sent him to Peru where he helped publish a Spanish-speaking newspaper in Comas, a settlement adjacent to Lima. The November 1965 issue of Ebony magazine featured an article about Bourne's efforts in Comas. Bourne graduated from Syracuse University in 1967.

Bourne died in Manhattan of pulmonary embolisms following brain surgery on December 15, 2007. He was 64 years old.