A hate crime revives ancient racial tensions in the nearly all white town of Jackson, Iowa. The aftermath, including damning national publicity, leads the mayor to consider implementing a highly controversial program aimed at promoting racial understanding within the community. The program faces opposition from every direction, with citizens and city leaders alike believing they know what's best for Jackson.Thousands of townspeople remain unemployed, and tensions increase as a black out-of-town contractor gets a coveted job on the city's dog track project, a white supremacist radio station takes over the airwaves, and Jackson is visited by a notorious former Klansman. With racial hostilities mounting, compromise seems impossible, and the future is as ominous as it is uncertain.