''The Courage to Love'' is a

2000 File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from S ...

television history film starring Vanessa L. Williams, who was also the producer. The premiere was held 24 January 2000 on Lifetime. The film also stars Vanessa's children:

Jillian Hervey Jillian Kristin Hervey (born June 19, 1989) is an American dancer, singer and member of the group Lion Babe. She is the daughter of Ramon Hervey II and singer, actress and former Miss America Vanessa Williams. Early life In addition to parents He ...

, Melanie Hervey, Devin Hervey, and her brother Chris Williams. Filming began in August 1999 in

Toronto, Ontario Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

, Canada, and was scheduled to last two months.

Plot

Henriette Delille Henriette Díaz DeLille, SSF (March 11, 1813 – November 16, 1862) was a Louisiana Creole of color and Catholic nun from New Orleans. Her father was a white man from France, her mother was a "quadroon", and her grandfather came from Spain. She ...

, a free woman of color, was born in 1813 into one of

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

' most prominent families. Her family assumed she would follow her mother and sister's path and become a

mistress Mistress is the feminine form of the English word "master" (''master'' + ''-ess'') and may refer to: Romance and relationships * Mistress (lover), a term for a woman who is in a sexual and romantic relationship with a man who is married to a ...

for a wealthy

white White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

man. However, Henriette had different plans for her life.

Cast

Vanessa Williams Vanessa Lynn Williams (born March 18, 1963) is an American singer, actress, and fashion designer. She gained recognition as the first African-American woman to receive the Miss America title when she was crowned Miss America 1984. She resign ...

as Mother Henriette Delille *

Gil Bellows Gil Bellows (born June 28, 1967) is a Canadian actor, screenwriter, and director. He is best known for the roles of Tommy Williams in the 1994 movie '' The Shawshank Redemption'', Billy Thomas in the Fox television series '' Ally McBeal'' (1997� ...

as Dr. Gerard Gautier * Karen Williams as Julie Gadin * Lisa Bronwyn Moore as Marie Alicot *

David La Haye David La Haye (born April 19, 1966) is a Canadian actor. Career He began his career in films in Yves Simoneau's ''Dans le ventre du dragon'' opposite such veteran stars as Rémy Girard and Pierre Curzi. With piercing eyes and an intense physic ...

as Father Rousselon *

Cynda Williams Cindy Ann "Cynda" Williams (born May 17, 1966) is an American actress. Early life and education Williams was born Cindy Ann Williams in Chicago, Illinois to Charles, a police officer and Beverly, a medical lab technician. She was raised in th ...

as Cecelia Delille * Diahann Carroll as Pouponne *

Stacy Keach Walter Stacy Keach Jr. (born June 2, 1941) is an American actor and narrator. He has played mainly dramatic roles throughout his career, often in law enforcement or as a private detective. His most prominent role was as Mickey Spillane's fiction ...

as Jean Baptiste *

Kevin Jubinville Kevin Jubinville (born April 28, 1967) is a Canadian actor known for playing The Shep in '' Degrassi: The Next Generation'' and Bob Venton in '' Rabbit Fall''. Filmography External links * {{DEFAULTSORT:Jubinville, Kevin 1967 births ...

as Frank Morgan * Chris Williams as Master of Ceremonies

External links

* 2000 films 2000 television films Lifetime (TV network) films African-American films Canadian drama television films Black Canadian films English-language Canadian films Films shot in Toronto Films directed by Kari Skogland Films set in New Orleans Films set in the 19th century Sisters of the Holy Family (Louisiana) American drama television films 2000s American films 2000s Canadian films {{US-tv-film-stub