Freedom's Gate

An illuminating portrait of five Black woman artists, including Maya Angelou and Nina Simone, and the New York nightclub that helped inspire the civil rights movement

'If Black women's friendships and artistry, coupled with political action and finely observed emotional nuance, are your siren's call, then Colbert's book is a rare treat' New York Times

'Outstanding ... an equally tender and galvanizing portrait of women who used their art and friendships to further Black liberation' Publishers Weekly

Before they became household names, Maya Angelou, Lorraine Hansberry, Abbey Lincoln, Miriam Makeba, and Nina Simone needed a place to practice and perform. That place was the Village Gate, a New York City nightclub that became a downtown hotspot for Black art, culture, music, and politics.

Freedom's Gate depicts the deepening political convictions and groundbreaking artistry of women of the Gate as they developed as entertainers, activists, and intellectuals in the spotlight of art and revolution. From Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun to Nina Simone's "Mississippi Goddam" and Abbey Lincoln and Max Roach's We Insist! Freedom Now Suite, Soyica Diggs Colbert brings to life the culture and performances that were the soundtrack to Black freedom struggles in the 1950s and early 1960s.

With supporting roles from stars and activists such as Harry Belafonte, Stokely Carmichael, and Sidney Poitier, Freedom's Gate is a vibrant history of a little-known chapter of the civil rights movement that gave voice and soul to the call for liberation.

'Absorbing. . . . A superb telling of the women of the Gate's collective story' Booklist

'Engaging, well-researched... A fresh perspective on Black history' Kirkus

'Remarkable . . . A story of hope and defiance, of collective power and shared vulnerability, of aesthetic courage and audacity―and an extraordinary tribute to her subjects' Adam Shatz, author of THE REBEL'S CLINIC

'A magnificent project, written by a truly talented scholar' Farah Jasmine Griffin, author of READ UNTIL YOU UNDERSTAND

'Elegant storytelling and a vibrant history' Salamishah Tillet, Distinguished Professor of Africana Studies and Creative Writing at Rutgers University-Newark