THE COURAGE TO LOVE profiles the extraordinary life of Henriette Delille, the first African-American saint. Set in New Orleans in the early 1800s, the film recounts an era when mixed races had open courtship, but were forbidden to marry. Delille (Vanessa L. Williams) herself was the daughter of a white plantation owner and his mistress. Delille is encouraged to follow suit and become a white man's mistress, but she manages to resist such racist social constructions. A woman of profound religious conviction, Delille later formed a group dedicated to helping the disadvantaged, known as the Sisters of the Holy Family,

release year: 2004

star(s): Vanessa Williams