Based on a scene from Wright's autobiography, "Black Boy", in which the seventeen-year-old African-American borrows a white man's library card and devours every book as a ticket to freedom.

Tells the story of Lewis Michaux who built a bookstore in Harlem despite widespread opposition.

Lee, a jazz pianist, has to leave his band when he begins losing his hearing, but he meets a deaf saxophone player in a sign language class and together they form a snazzy new band.

Young Ovella rejoices as her community comes together to raise money and build a much-needed school in the 1920s, with matching funds from the president of Sears, Roebuck, and Company and support from Professor James of the Normal School.

Describes how an African slave, Toussaint L'Ouverture, lead his fellow slaves of the island of St. Domingue (now Haiti) to revolt against the white plantation owners to gain their freedom and influence the course of world history.