Helen Plum Library

The only literary collaboration between Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston, this play marked a turning point in African-American theater. This volume tells the story of the play's conception and inspiration and gives complete details of the irreparable rift in Hurston and Hughes's friendship that came about because of it. Also included is Hurston's short story, "Bone of Contention."

August Wilson has already given the American theater such spell-binding plays about the black experience in 20th-century America as Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Joe Turner's Come and Gone, and the Pulitzer Prize-winning, Fences. In his second Pulitzer Prize-winner, The Piano Lesson, Wilson has fashioned his most haunting and dramatic work yet. At the heart of the play stands the ornately carved upright piano which, as the Charles family's prized, hard-won...

The history of blacks in the South as seen through the eyes of a 110-year-old former slave

A successful, wealthy businessman, Wesley Deeds has always done what's expected of him, whether it's assuming the helm of his father's company, tolerating his brother's misbehavior at the office or planning to marry his beautiful but restless fiancée, Natalie. But Wesley is jolted out of his predictable routine when he meets Lindsey, a down-on-her-luck single mother who works as a cleaning person in his office building. Outspoken, impulsive and proud,...

When famed photographer Christina Eames unexpectedly dies, she leaves her estranged daughter Mae Morton hurt, angry and full of questions. When a photograph tucked away in a safe-deposit box is found, Mae finds herself on a journey delving into her mother's early life and ignites a powerful, unexpected romance with a rising-star journalist, Michael Block

Based on the true story of Solomon Northup. It is 1841, and Northup, an accomplished, free citizen of New York, is kidnapped and sold into slavery. Stripped of his identity and deprived of all dignity, Northup is ultimately purchased by ruthless plantation owner Edwin Epps and must find the strength within to survive. Filled with powerful performances by an astonishing cast including Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbener, Benedict Cumberbatch, Brad...

An adaptation of Alex Haley's "Roots", in which Haley traces his African American family's history from the mid-18th century to the Reconstruction era

It follows the journey of Reeves and his rise from enslavement to law enforcement as one of the first Black U.S. Deputy Marshals west of the Mississippi. Despite arresting over 3,000 outlaws during his career, the weight of the badge was heavy, and he wrestled with its moral and spiritual cost to his beloved family. This release features over two hours of special features, including an exclusive interview with Production Designer, Wynn Thomas (Malcolm...