The Piano Lesson

In 1936, Boy Willie returns to Pittsburgh from Mississippi, determined to claim the family's heirloom piano that has been passed down through generations of African Americans as a symbol of their history and struggle. The piano, once owned by the wife of a former slave owner, holds a deep significance as it bears the marks of the black family's African tribal history and American slave history carved into its surface by Boy Willie's grandfather at the master's instructions. As Willie attempts to sell the piano to buy land, he must navigate his sister Berniece's refusal to part with their shared legacy, a test that will reveal the true meaning behind the instrument.