Filmmaker St. Claire Bourne Dies
Harlem filmmaker/activist St. Clair Bourne passed away Saturday in a New York hospital following an operation to remove a brain tumor. He was 64.\r
Best known for his documentary work, Bourne helmed such acclaimed films as "A Nation of Common Sense," "Pusher Man," and "Rebound: The Legend of Earl 'The Goat' Manigault," starring Don Cheadle.\r
Born in Harlem in 1943, Bourne attended Georgetown University in the 1960s, but was expelled after being arrested at an off-campus sit-in. He then joined the Peace Corps and almost single-handedly resurrected a fading newspaper, El Comeno, in Lima. He later returned to Syracuse University, where he graduated with a degree in journalism and political science. In 1971, Bourne produced "Black Journal" - the nation's first black-oriented public affairs show. From there, he founded his own production company, Chamba, which he led until his death. At the time of his death, Bourne was working on a documentary about veteran Memphis-based civil rights photographer Ernest Withers, who died in October at age 85.\r
Bourne is survived by a sister, Judith Bourne, a lawyer in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands.