Kenneth Clark interviews Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin.  

In the interview with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., footage of Birmingham, Albany, and other civil rights movement episodes are shown and discussed.  King speaks on love, nonviolent resistance, impact of this philosophy on whites, the relationship between SNCC, CORE, NACCP, and SCLC.  Other issues discussed are the role of the federal government, and lack of leadership by President John F. Kennedy and Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy.

In the interview with Malcolm X, scenes of Harlem and Malcolm speaking in Harlem are shown.  Malcolm rebuts charges of hating whites, anti-semitism, Black supremacy, and practicing violence.  Malcolm also discusses self-defense, Dr. King and non-violence, and says that negro leaders are Uncle Toms.  He also talks about the goals of the Nation of Islam, integration, protection from federal governement, what will happen next and separatism.  

In the third interview, Kenneth Clark interviews James Baldwin on what can be done to change the moral fiber of America, the student movement in the South, Black Muslims, Black supremacy, Malcolm X, the relationship between King's non-violence approach and the reality of the negro, and the future of America and the negro.