Lawyer Forrest Bedford struggles to raise a family amid the civil-rights strife of the 1958 South, aided by Lily, a lack housekeeper who comes to work in the opener to find Forrest prosecuting a young white for a bus accident that killed three black; and little John Morgan missing his hospitalized mama.
When John Morgan loses his cowboy hat out of the car window, Lilly finds it—but then so does her daughter—-while Forrest faces verbal cross-fire over a beating case arising from the demonstration.
With Forrest away on a weekend hunting trip, womanhood takes aim at Francie, who feels utterly alone; while worries about the fate of an errant arrow dog, John Morgan.
As Forrest joins the race for attorney general, Lilly considers attending a voting-rights meetings, while Francie elects to overcome her writer's block by committing a betrayal.
John Morgan is upset when he doesn't get to go to Lilly's birthday party; the wrestlers aren't celebrating Zollicofer's decision to let a black join the team; Forrest realizes running for office isn't going to be a piece of cake.
On Halloween, the specter of the KKK haunts Christina as she's asked to investigate Prevtiss Carver's death. It also haunts John Morgan, who's heard about the ""dragon men"" from Adlaine.
Slocum wrestles with his conscience—-and with-–Evans as Zollicfer applies pressure over the brick-throwing incident; Lilly balks when Lewis, wanting to relive his time in the Negro Leagues, takes his eyes off the ball at home.
Thanksgiving brings family—and conflict—home: Gwen's visit from the mental hospital knocks the stuffing out of the Bedfords, especially Nathan; and Lilly's brother makes a pilgrimage home after discovering the New World of the North.
A game of checkers turns deadly serious for Nathan and Slocum; Lilly helps Francie, who's afraid she'll lay an egg singing in the church benefit.
Lilly expresses a burning desire to divorce her absent husband; sparks fly between Nathan and a carnival worker; Forrest's arrest of an upstanding citizen in the McDaniel murder adds fuel to the fire against him, which licks at John Morgan.
John Morgan makes up a tall tale about his absent mother joining the rodeo; as the trial approaches, Forrest lassos a witness and then tightens the rope; Slocum's father brands his son a loser and kicks him out of the house.
On a campaign swing, Forrest lobbies for the affections of a difficult Francie, while Lilly faces a difficult test registering to vote.
As Election Day nears, John Morgan plans a post-victory show, but Forrest isn't sure he can pull a win out of his hat in his race for attorney general. He's facing a blackmail threat from a drunken Tyler. Meanwhile, Lilly's determination to vote remains unabated, even after her faith is tested by the opposition of her minister. But discrimination at the polling place makes that step forward seems more like an illusion.
Forrest faces a test in courage when some of the townsfolk decide to teach him a lesson; Nathan is eager to learn why Forrest and Lake had a falling-out; and Lilly enrolls in night school.
An impromptu lunch-counter protest leads to a more serious demonstration; Lilly has to chew out John Morgan and an unruly friend; Nathan, stunned by a revelation about his girlfriend, wishes he could eat his words after Slocum repeals them to her.
Forrest is shocked when Rev. Henry's latest protest sparks Lilly to action; Nathan and Diane's status as a couple generates charged comments; John Morgan fools with electricity.
Diane's father tries to put a damper on her and Nathan's passions; racial tensions heat up with the department-store boycott, leaving Lilly's cousin Oscar out in the cold.
Not realizing how deep town sentiment runs, Lilly and Forrest learn fast after witnessing a police attack on black children; tucker robs the cradle with Forrests' young campaign worker; Francie behaves childishly after being asked to walk John Morgan to school.
Lilly finds herself in time with a visiting sax player; a frustrated Forrest wants someone to face the music about his incompetent opposing counsel in a murder trial; Slocum is jazzed to find Zollicofer in town, trying to get his job back.
John Morgan tries to put to rest his guilt and fear over an elderly neighbor's passing; Forrest asks Christina to step in to save the dying defense of a black man accused of murder.
Lilly feels no pain when she's with Clarence, but Lewis isn't as intoxicated by his presence; Christina faces her own demons helping alcoholic tucker dry out; Nathan keeps his anger bottled up after catching Forrest in a compromising position.
Forrest ponders an offer for a challenging job; Lilly tries to make peace between her father and Clarence, who asks her to make a life-changing decision; Nathan sees something he shouldn't; and Slocum saves his mother's birthday party.
