Pearl Cleage

Catherine Sanderson seems to have it all: a fulfilling career helping immigrant women find jobs, a lovely home, and a beautiful, intelligent daughter on her way to Smith College. What Catherine doesn’t have: a father for her child– and she’s spent many years dodging her daughter’s questions about it. Now Phoebe is old enough to start poking around on her own. It doesn’t help matters that the mystery man, B.J. Johnson–the...

Josephine Evans had spent thirty years abroad establishing her reputation as one of the finest actresses of her generation. In Amsterdam, she redefined who and what an African American diva could be, and her legions of loyal fans loved her for it. But when a war she didn't even understand suddenly makes her the target of angry anti-American protests, Josephine is forced to return to America to see if she can find a new definition of home. Camping...

In Atlanta's West End district, folks know each other's names and keep their doors unlocked. Blue wears many hats here, and he's also the man you pay your respects to if you're looking to set up shop in this urban enclave. Just ask the Too Fine Five, a quintet of supermodels here for an Essence photo shoot. Blue's gut tells him that there's more to them than meets the eye, and he vows to uncover their secret intentions.

Regina Burns is married to Blue Hamilton, a charismatic R&B singer who gave up his career to assume responsibility for the safety of Atlanta's West End community. Blue has created an African American urban oasis where crime and violence were virtually nonexistent. Then everything changed. More and more women are coming to Blue for protection from violent lovers. When the worst offenders begin to disappear, the signs point to Blue. Pregnant, Regina's...

For centuries, African American women have been remaking the world, giving testament to the power of hope, courage, and resilience. But it took the inspired generosity of Oprah Winfrey to honor fully the many gifts of sisterhood. For three amazing days–from May 13 to 15, 2005–a distinguished group of women was invited to celebrate the enduring achievements of twenty-five of their mentors and role models–and in the process pay tribute...

Pearl Cleage's body of work for the stage provides us with a remarkable and penetrating look at the African-American experience over the last 100 years. This volume collects her major full-length plays and one-acts, including “Flyin' West”, “Blues for an Alabama Sky”, “Bourbon at the Border”, “Chain and Late Bus to Mecca”.

An anthology of Black resilience and reclamation. Born of a desire to bring together the voices of those most harshly affected by the intersecting pandemics of Covid-19 and systemic racism, Bigger Than Bravery explores comfort and compromise, challenge and resilience, throughout the Great Pause that became the Great Call. Award-winning author and scholar of the Black archive Valerie Boyd curates this anthology of original essays and poems, alongside...