Booker’s world is shattered when he loses his wife, Fanny,  leaving him with a newborn and a mission that feels impossible to carry on. As the weight of grief bears down, a Watch Night celebration forces him to confront the question on everyone’s mind: Will Booker and Olivia keep fighting for the school, or let it all go, as they face the difficult choice to stand firm when the odds say run.

Hampton Institute sends favorite son, young Booker T., on a mission to the dangerous Deep South to develop a school from the ground up.  Booker navigates tricky alliances, pitfalls and stifling southern customs to protect his fledgeling school from being  burned to ashes. Will Olivia, a special friend from the Hampton days, be just the partner he needs to make his school successful? 

Booker & Olivia push on, in the face of supply shortages, lazy students, and cotton businessmen who want their labor back in the field and not in Booker's classroom. 

On America's birthday, July 4th, Booker and Olivia meet hopefuls for the new school but fireworks really start when the local Ruffians drop in, determined to get everyone back  in the fields. Will Booker and Olivia ever be able to  get them off the fields and into the  new classrooms?

Olivia joins Booker down South and plans to scale  things up,  while Booker plays it cautious, not to offend the locals.

Booker journeys to the Deep South,  and scouts for good stake of land to raise up his school. Olivia returns to her old school Framingham and learns just how valued she is there.  Memories of an earlier trouble in the Deep South, still haunt Olivia but will Booker be able to entice her to come help him build a school?

Newly graduated and floundering in the real world, Booker returns to Hampton, his  "Home By Sea"  and rises to the tasks given to him by mentor, General Armstrong. But is he up to a new challenge, which means journeying to the dangerous Deep South and expanding Hampton's mission.