Chapter 43

Summary

• Eleanor Roosevelt, the First Lady of the United States, has been waiting to confront Steve Woodburn over his disrespectful behavior, but chooses to show defiance instead.
• She participates in a conference presentation addressing the real-life problems faced by African Americans, during which she and her friend Mary make a controversial public statement by shaking hands (considered unacceptable due to racial segregation).
• The speech Eleanor delivers is about the need to ensure equal educational and employment opportunities for African American youths, despite discouragement from Steve Woodburn and the astonishment of some attendees.
• After the conference, Eleanor and Mary make another public statement by having lunch together at Old Ebbitt Grill, a restaurant popular among Washington, D.C. elites.
• Despite awkwardness and some delay, they are seated at a table in the middle of the restaurant’s large front window, making their integrated dining experience highly visible.
• Eleanor has arranged for their meal to be photographed and published widely, to deliberately challenge the notion of racial segregation.
• While at the restaurant, Mary reveals her personal history and her original desire to be a missionary in Africa, explaining how she has now redirected her efforts towards racial integration in the United States.
• The two women agree that they are essentially serving as "missionaries in their own land" by working to normalize equality and integration between different races.