Cranston Public Library

For Josephine Evans, home was on the stages of the world where she spent thirty years establishing herself as one of the finest actresses of her generation. Josephine was the toast of Europe, and her fabulous apartment in Amsterdam’s theater district was a popular gathering place for an international community of artists, actors, and expatriates who considered themselves true citizens of the world. Josephine lived above and beyond the reach...

In this scorching, mournful, often explicit, and never-less-than-moving literary novel from Walter Mosley, acclaimed creator of the Easy Rawlins series, Debbie Dare has to come to terms with her sordid life in the adult-entertainment industry. Millions of men (and, no doubt, many women) have watched the famed black porn queen-she of the blond wig and blue contact lenses-'do it' on television and computer screens every which way and with every combination...

The Academy, Tony, and Emmy Award-winning actor and trailblazer tells her stunning story, looking back at her life and six-decade career. Tyson has been blessed to grace the stage and screen for six decades. She has been the church girl who once rarely spoke a word; the teenager who sought solace in the verses of the old hymn for which this book is named. A daughter and mother, a sister, and a friend, she is also an observer of human nature and the...

Yancey Harrington Braxton's plans to star in a reality television series are threatened by Madison B., an up-and-coming star and Yancey's long-lost daughter, and her own mother, Ava Middlebrooks, who is desperate for a comeback.

"A gripping, painfully honest, and ultimately inspirational memoir from global superstar and creator of the Red Table Talk series Jada Pinkett Smith. In a media driven landscape that crafts narratives for our celebrities, Smith recounts her story in an intimate conversation with readers. Along the way, she explores her path to accepting her power as a woman, and her discovery that a strong sense of self is every woman's right and saving grace. An...

"In this profoundly moving and beautifully written memoir, the award-winning actor and activist provides an intimate view into both her public and private worlds as she chronicles her life's journey thus far, sharing how she discovered her truest self and, with it, a deeper sense of belonging."--

"A poignant and transporting cross-cultural love story set against the lush backdrop of the Sicilian countryside, where one woman discovers the healing powers of food and family in her darkest hour. It was love at first sight when Tembi met professional chef, Saro, on a street in Florence. There was just one problem: Saro's traditional Sicilian family did not approve of him marrying a black American woman, an actress no less. However, the couple,...

""In her long and extraordinary career, Cicely Tyson has not only succeeded as an actor, she has shaped the course of history." --President Barack Obama, 2016 Presidential Medal of Honor ceremony. "Just As I Am is my truth. It is me, plain and unvarnished, with the glitter and garland set aside. In these pages, I am indeed Cicely, the actress who has been blessed to grace the stage and screen for six decades. Yet I am also the church girl who once...

"To Boldly Go tells the true story of Nichelle Nichols and how she used her platform on Star Trek to inspire and recruit a new generation of diverse astronauts and many others in the space and STEM fields"--

An acclaimed stage performer, Dorothy Dandridge still struggled with the challenge of her color, in a time that wouldn't let some stars in by the front door. Yet against the odds, she beat out many more famous rivals for the role of Carmen Jones, becoming the first black woman ever nominated for a Best Actress Academy Award.