In Baltimore, racial integration is introduced to a high school in the fall of 1954, as television begins to replace burlesque and rock and roll becomes a popular genre. Against this backdrop, two brothers, Ben and Van, navigate their own coming of age experiences. Ben, a high school senior, befriends a Black student named Sylvia, while Van explores the world of debutantes in the WASP part of town. As they venture into new social circles, they attend a James Brown concert and a party at a motel, respectively. Meanwhile, their father, Nate, who runs an illegal numbers game, faces financial difficulties after losing a large sum to a small-time pusher, Little Melvin. The brothers' experiences are intertwined with their father's struggles, leading to a complex exploration of identity, family, and social change.
Liberty Heights
In the 1950s, Baltimore's school integration sparks a wave of change as Ben, a Jewish student, struggles to balance his family's traditions with his blossoming connection to a classmate from a different racial background.
