Mighty Inside

It's 1955, and Melvin Robinson isn't looking forward to starting 9th grade. He's got a stutter, he's one of the few Black kids at his school in Spokane, WA, and he plays the accordion, which definitely isn't cool. Fortunately, Melvin meets Lenny, a fast-talking, saxophone-playing Jewish kid on the first day of school, and they become friends. Lenny and his mother live above the famous Harlem Club, and Lenny encourages Melvin to speak with Millie, the Japanese-American girl whom Melvin has a crush on. Melvin’s friendships with Lenny and Millie not only deepen his understanding of the discrimination faced by the Japanese and Jewish communities, but also the lengths his own parents go to in order to protect him from the racism they face every day. When Lenny suggests they try out for the local TV variety show with Melvin playing his accordion and Lenny on the sax, Melvin must decide if he is mighty enough to show everyone who he really is.