Bumpy Johnson returns from Alcatraz to reunite with his family and reclaim his Harlem territory from Italian mob boss Vincent Gigante; he finds an unlikely ally in his old friend Malcolm X.
Realizing a consistent source of heroin is vital to reclaim Harlem, Bumpy engages in a fevered search to find a dope supply independent of the Italians. Chin engages the services of crooked cops in a plot to arrest Bumpy.
Bumpy unexpectedly finds himself at Elise's side when her shoplifting arrest and subsequent abuse is the catalyst for a protest where conflicting interests cause tensions to rise.
Cassius Clay battles local boxing hero Doug Jones; Mayme insists Bumpy back Jones but Malcolm urges Bumpy to back Clay; Chin engages in a turf war with Bonnano and a buried secret is revealed.
In an effort to break Bumpy's bank, Chin fixes a bet. As a result, Bumpy owes the winners more than he can cover. Police arrest Stella and Teddy for kissing. Elise looks toward the Nation of Islam in order to better herself.
Elijah Muhammad tours Malcolm X's mosque where he meets Elise and asks her to spy on Malcolm; Chin finds out Teddy is alive, leaving Ernie Nunzi to correct his mistake; Esther James sues Adam Clayton Powell Jr. for slander.
Striking back at the Italians, Bumpy exploits Chin's dark past; Mayme and Elise put aside their differences and Bumpy sees his wife and children reunited before his war explodes.
Chin and Bonnano are at war in Harlem; Mayme asks Bumpy to create a will where Bumpy finds out where he and Mayme never formally adopted Margaret; Malcolm X and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. go to D.C. to March on Washington.
Due to slum conditions in Harlem, Adam Clayton Powell Jr. leads a rent strike and investigates the owners of the buildings; Ernie Nunzi searches for the hooker who helped set up Zambrano; Bumpy and Mayme experience tension in their marriage.
Bumpy blackmails the mob in an effort to secure safety for himself and his family; President John F. Kennedy is assasinated; Teddy performs at the Apollo Theater in Harlem.
