About J. Leon Pridgen II
Leon is an actor, writer, producer, and the creator of Ben Davis – Watch Him Fly, a stage production that honors the legacy of one of his heroes, General Benjamin O. Davis Jr. This production, decades in the making, is a personal and professional milestone for Leon, allowing him to bring to life a figure who has inspired him deeply.
Coming from a proud military family, Leon's connection to the history of the Tuskegee Airmen has been ingrained since childhood. As a veteran of the 82nd Airborne Division, like his father, brother, cousins, and great uncle—who was part of the first class of African American Paratroopers in the United States Army—Leon’s understanding of military heritage runs deep.
Leon's personal quest for deeper knowledge of Benjamin O. Davis Jr. began decades ago. While the broader history of the Tuskegee Airmen was widely known, Leon was compelled to explore the stories of the men behind these heroes, particularly General Davis. Through years of dedicated study, research, and meaningful conversations with Davis' family members, Leon has created a platform that allows him to step into the shoes and stand on the shoulders of this extraordinary American hero.
The Play
Benjamin Davis – Watch Him Fly is a one-man stage play that chronicles the fascinating life of Ben O. Davis Jr. – From his childhood to his love of flight, to West Point, to combat, and his post-military career.
It is those struggles and triumphs that hardened his mettle, honed his tenacity to make him the accomplished leader he would become.
J. Leon Pridgen II brings Ben’s story to life. This is not your typical one-man stage play. This theatrical production combines sight, sound, and feel creating an individual experience for each audience member.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YBUkPbVgyKD1v-DmOBctlS_f0ruaAls9/view?usp=drivesdk
Novels by J. Leon Pridgen II
HIDDEN SECRETS, HIDDEN LIVES
HIDDEN SECRETS, HIDDEN LIVES
HIDDEN SECRETS, HIDDEN LIVES
If we live long enough, eventually our past will catch up to us. Travis Moore created a new life for himself and erased his life in the underworld.
12 years have passed and the career he's hid himself under calls him back to his hometown, with his wife, Kenya.
He volunteers to help at risk youth in a drug treatment facility to make amends for the life he so desperately wanted to escape. He bonds with a troubled youth Jarquise Love (Baby Jar) who reminds him of himself in his youth,, but it is this bond that brings him face to face with his past and the notorious Kwame (Bone) Brown. The well of their relationship runs deep and if any of the things hidden there come to the surface, it will destroy everything Travis has established personally and professionally. .
Hidden Secrets, Hidden Lives book by J. Leon Pridgen II (thriftbooks.com)
COLOR OF JUSTICE
HIDDEN SECRETS, HIDDEN LIVES
HIDDEN SECRETS, HIDDEN LIVES
Color of Justice is a story of two half brothers that are separated at an early age. The youngest (James Pruitt) is a one year old, and the eldest (Warren Johnson) is six. James is adopted by his paternal grandparents who raise him as their own son, never telling him about his older half brother or that they are his grandparents. Warren is left to his own devices. Twenty-seven years later, James is flourishing as a prosecuting attorney until an event leads him to discover his older half brother. Warren is now on Death Row, two weeks away from execution for the rape and murder of a white woman. He is innocent, and the tale becomes a race against time for James to save his brothers life before the execution.
Color of Justice book by J. Leon Pridgen II (thriftbooks.com)
UNIT 416
HIDDEN SECRETS, HIDDEN LIVES
UNIT 416
Born and raised in America’s hardest streets, five men are faced with the ultimate choice: continue their lives of crime and incarceration or serve their country and join the Army. Master Sergeant Keeble is faced with no good choice: be the leader of a new section called Unit 416 or take him and his surgically-repaired leg out of the game for good. At first, all Keeble has to work with is a ragtag group of men with no regard for the rules and a huge chip on their shoulders. But as the men go through training and more together, they form a group so tight, so formidable, that nothing can break them apart. And when a secretive CIA directive leads them straight into the heart of Uzbekistan to infiltrate an arms cartel, Unit 416’s men will need all the grit, tough—and heart—they have in order to see this mission home
Unit 416 book by J. Leon Pridgen II (thriftbooks.com)