Star actor of stage, film, and television, civil rights activist, screenwriter, and director, Ossie Davis was among the most beloved and respected men in Hollywood and American society as a whole, whose brilliant oratory style was among his most inspiring and celebrated gifts—and all of his written essays, tributes, letters, and more have been collected for this book.

This book represents the best of the scores of speeches and talks, written and delivered by the great Ossie Davis. While the sound of his voice will be missed in the reading, his unique gift for expressing himself, articulating his thoughts and his visions are present on every page of this moving collection.

Davis had intended to assemble these disparate pieces long before his passing in the spring of 2005. His wife and his family have followed-up and delivered to us the text of his speeches, essays, tributes and eulogies, letters, and the brilliant monologue that was "The Benediction" from his groundbreaking play, first produced in 1961, "Purlie Victorious."

In the end, this is a book that will resonate from Hollywood to the heartlands across the country as a document of one man's wisdom and generosity, and a legacy that enriches all of us.