A black radical activist and a young White woman find themselves drawn to one another during the politically and racially-charged atmosphere of early 1970s America.

When a Chicago teen is arrested for drug possession, the ensuing investigation reveals that he has had sexual contact with an older man. Discovering his sexual encounter, other students start shunning him and call for his expulsion from school. His conservative blue-collar dad also rejects him, while his mother does try to offer support.