Act 1 Summary

The River Niger is Joseph A. Walker's play about a black family living in the 1970's, in Harlem, in New York City. The plot line reveals the themes of the struggles and the pre-determined roles of black men in America.

As the play opens, it is 4:30 on a February afternoon in a brownstone in Harlem. As the lights go up on a set revealing a large living room and kitchen, an old woman, Grandma Wilhemina Brown, pours coffee into a big mug. After adding some cream and sugar, Grandma looks around furtively. Realizing that she is alone, she retrieves a bottle of whisky from a kitchen cabinet and pours a healthy amount into her coffee mug.

A sound coming from the outside startles Grandma. She returns the bottle to its hiding place and hurries back upstairs. John Williams, a man in his mid-...