No Surrender! No Retreat! examines the careers of fifteen pioneer
performers and their triumphs over herculean obstacles. It is a look
back over the 20th century and documents personal histories of
staggering achievement in spite of institutional racism, gender
oppression, and classism. Twenty-four years in the making, No Surrender!
No Retreat! is an indispensable work on African Americans in the
performing arts, examining well-known performers, such as James Earl
Jones, Morgan Freeman, and Pearl Bailey. Rare archival material and a
number of personal interviews enrich this tome. Glenda E. Gill's work is
a moving and sometimes tragic account of the lives and careers of some
of America's most outstanding African American pioneers in theater.