LACKAWANNA BLUES

Lackawanna Blues is based on a one-man play by Ruben Santiago-Hudson. Drawing on his own experiences, Santiago-Hudson begins his story as a child growing up in the small New York town of Lackawanna. There, he is raised by Rachel Nanny Crosby (Merkerson), who provides a refuge for many wandering black folks whose lives have not quite turned out as they wished. Nanny and the residents educate Ruben in a way that no conventional schooling can provide, with the film lovingly painting a poignant slice of life from these heavily segregated times.