Chapter 50

Summary

• The chapter revolves around Mary from Daytona Beach, Florida who has orchestrated a visit of the First Lady to her college - Bethune-Cookman College.
• The First Lady's visit is part of a thirty-fifth anniversary celebration which Mary has been trying to arrange for six months, despite pushback from the White House and the busy schedule of Eleanor - the First Lady.
• Mary feels guilty as she believes she has pressed Eleanor beyond her limits to make the visit.
• Mary notices Eleanor’s exhaustion and worries that her insistence on the visit might have contributed to it. She also senses perhaps the pressure of war developments in Washington might be a factor.
• Eleanor meets with Mary, her son and grandson, and the Mayor of the town. The meeting is well-covered by the press, but Eleanor does not indulge in answering any questions.
• Mary and Eleanor later engage in light-hearted conversation about Eleanor’s simple clothes versus Mary’s glamorous outfit and the plan to eat fried chicken at Mary’s house before the college visit.
• The college visit goes smoothly at first, but during a planned gap in the schedule, Mary leads Eleanor into the college library where she introduces Eleanor to the broader community her college serves.
• At the college during weekends, not only Mary provides food and education to children who need it most, but she also helps their parents on the other side of the campus providing similar assistance. They do so by providing a few meals, college students help the kids to read and learn arithmetic and are sent back home with some food and a book on loan.
• Mary reveals to Eleanor that her college is in financial danger. She insists that if the school fails, then it will affect not just enrolled students, but also the entire colored population of Daytona who are dependent on the services provided by the college.
• Eleanor acknowledges the situation and tells Mary that they need to talk, possibly indicating a grave conversation about the state of affairs.