When Colored Was Cool

Blues singer Bessie Smith was a good-hearted, brawling alcoholic whose musical influence can still be heard today. The eclectic world she inhabited during the Harlem Renaissance was fascinating and strangely modern in its acceptance of racial mixing and unique lifestyles. In that world she found happiness and fulfillment along with disappointment and despair—and she sang about it all in her music.

When Colored Was Cool chronicles the most important year of Bessie's life as it might have been seen through the eyes of a young, idealistic reporter. Filled with laughter and love, freaks and geeks, and loyalty and friendship, this story is a wild, memorable romp containing colorful characters and unforgettable moments.