In February 1932 at the New York Executive Mansion, Franklin Roosevelt, Eleanor Roosevelt, and adviser Louis Howe review the viability of a presidential run. While state-by-state calculations drag on, Eleanor reflects on Howe’s long loyalty, especially during Franklin’s polio, and the campaign’s dominance over family concerns.

After a coughing fit, Louis pivots from mapping states to a new strategy: pursue Black voters. Franklin doubts breaking their traditional Republican alignment, but Eleanor, thinking of Mary McLeod Bethune, listens closely.

Louis relays Pennsylvania Democrat Joseph Guffey’s message: Robert L. Vann—Pittsburgh Courier founder and influential Black attorney—has soured on Republican promises. Vann would publicly support Democrats and Franklin, including via the Courier, if the campaign commits to including Black units in the U.S. military and securing him a meaningful federal position.

Eleanor deems the ask reasonable and argues Democrats can deliver far more, citing New York’s welfare and job-training models. Then she ups the ante: they may not need Vann if she can enlist Mary McLeod Bethune, a widely trusted national figure. Franklin receives the idea, Louis is impressed, and the campaign’s direction tilts toward actively courting Black support through Bethune’s leadership.