When a melancholic blues singer gets his big break, he discovers that his success as a musician is mutually exclusive with his happiness as a human being.

A man in Harlem must traverse perilous waters as he attempts to dually support his brother's career in jazz and help him cope with the pain that led him to a heroin overdose in the past.

A young black boy lives with his parents and older brother in Harlem. Though his older brother will tell their parents they are going to the movies together, he often ditches his younger brother to hang out with his friends. Meanwhile, the younger boy explores New York City and its subway, and learns about the racism around him.

A busy maid in Harlem has been saving money for months to buy tickets for a boat ride. When there is a sudden threat to her long-awaited excursion, she will stop at nothing get on the boat.