Raising Renee plot
"A promise is a promise."
Beverly McIver grew up in a poor, black neighborhood in the southern United States city of Greensboro in the 1960s and 1970s. Beverly's mother raised her three daughters on her own while earning a living as a maid for wealthy white families. Greensboro was notorious for its racial segregation. This documentary shows how McIver's artistic talent enabled her to break free from the milieu of her childhood. McIver was on the brink of a very promising career when her mother passed away unexpectedly in 2003. With that, she suddenly found herself caring for her older, retarded sister Renee. The documentary follows Beverly McIver in the five years that she must combine the responsibility for her sister, a task that significantly limits her freedom, with her artistry. Until an unexpected solution presents itself.