Outside the NYA’s first advisory board meeting, Eleanor eagerly awaits Mary and overhears white men mutter that “Bethune” is acting “above her station,” reminding her of the risks Mary faces. When Mary emerges with Aubrey Williams, Miss Roche, and Dr. Mordecai Johnson, Eleanor offers public praise before extracting Mary for a private talk.

Eleanor ushers Mary to a waiting car, having planned a discreet escape. En route, Mary reports that the meeting focused on aspirations rather than concrete plans, though Aubrey Williams and Miss Roche seem committed to including Black youth. Mary says the council’s twice-yearly schedule limits impact and that she needs to be in Washington more often.

Seeking Eleanor’s counsel, Mary proposes founding a new umbrella organization that unites Black women’s clubs, sororities, the YWCA, and others. By consolidating many separate voices, Mary intends to speak as the representative of thousands of women—and voters—rather than as an individual leader.

Eleanor immediately recognizes the strategy’s power: such electoral clout could compel New Deal agencies, including the NYA, to expand Mary’s responsibilities and influence. The plan reframes Mary’s role from advisor to indispensable partner.

They arrive at Reeves bakery, where Eleanor has arranged a guarded private room to avoid scrutiny and ensure safety. Over desserts, they toast Mary’s NYA start and her bold strategy, sealing their shared commitment to turning unified Black women’s power into federal leverage.