Martin's friend, Alex, insists to his teacher that he's going to do his "Great Americans" essay assignment on Martin Luther King, even though it was covered in the curriculum the previous week. When the teacher overhears Martin advise Alex that jeopardizing his place on the basketball team isn't worth fighting over Dr. King, she changes the assignment so that all students must choose a Great African American.

Martin then discovers that someone has vandalized his car with racist comments and the Camden family, as well as the entire town, becomes enraged over the hate crime.