Piper Dellums (Shadia Simmons) is a black girl who lives in Washington, D.C.. She lives with her father, Congressman Ron Dellums (Carl Lumbly), her mother Roscoe Dellums (Penny Johnson) and her two younger twin brothers, Brady (Anthony Burnett) and Erik (Erron Jackson). Ron Dellums is an outspoken opponent of the South African apartheid system. Piper is excited to be a host to an African exchange student. She believes the exchange student will be black, while Mahree believes her host family will be white. They are not pleased to find out they were both wrong. Ron is also not please by Mahree's political views. Mahree is horrified and panics when she is confronted by this new situation. She locks herself in Piper's bedroom and refuses to come out.