This chapter introduces readers to John Herbers. A white southerner, Herbers built his career writing for Mississippi newspapers, and for the United Press (later UPI). Along the way, he often found himself writing stories about racial turmoil, such as his coverage of the murder trial of Emmett Till.

In the summer of 1963, Herbers is hired by The New York Times to join the race beat. It is a breakthrough for his career, but it sets him up for an extremely stressful year in his family with his wife and four young daughters. He will constantly be on the go.

In mid-September, he is due back home in Atlanta to see his family for the first time in weeks, but on the way to the airport, he hears about the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church. He turns the car around and plunges into a most challenging reporting situation. Among other things, he winds up interviewing the parents of the four girls who were killed in the bombing. He also misses his anniversary at home.