Genre:
Drama, TV movie (Lifetime TV)

Cast:
Vanessa Williams as Henriette Delille, Diahann Carroll

Produced by:
Vanessa Williams (Executive Producer)

Directed by:
Kari Skogland

Timeline:
Filming started in August ´99 in Toronto, Canada, and was scheduled to last 2 months
First aired on January 24th, 2000, on Lifetime (USA)

Vanessa´s appearance:
Vanessa has scenes through the whole 2 hour long movie.

What´s special about this one:
This is Vanessa´s first time that she is working as an actress AND executive producer on a film.

Vanessa's kids are seen briefly in the movie, as is her brother and her mother.

The title was changed from "Quadroon Ball" to "The Courage To Love".

"The Courage To Love" Links:
Official Website
Clip from the TV movie (1)
Clip from the TV movie (2)
Clip from the TV movie (3)
Clip from the TV movie (4)
JET article
Internet Movie DataBase

Story:

Henriette Delille, a free woman of color, was born in 1813 into one of New Orleans' most prominent families. Her family assumed she would follow her mother and sister's footsteps and become a mistress for a wealthy white man. However, Henriette had different plans for her life.

She realized her calling was to assist the sick and the dying, regardless of their race--a controversial decision in race-charged New Orleans. In 1842, she co-founded the Sisters of the Holy Family, a group of Catholic nuns dedicated to helping the less fortunate. Though Henriette died in 1862 the work of the Sisters of the Holy Family continues today.