Born into slavery in the U.S. before the Revolutionary War, young Richard Allen believes he faces a hopeless future. But after becoming a Christian as a young man and then seeing his master also come to faith, Allen buys his freedom. As a free man, he serves God first as a circuit-riding preacher and then as a pastor in Philadelphia. Even so, he cannot completely leave the injustice of his past behind. When the White senior pastor tells Allen and other Black congregants to "know their place"-which is in the balcony, away from White parishioners-Reverend Allen must make a decision: How will he stand up for his people? When an epidemic strikes Philadelphia, will he risk his own life to help those who treated him as a second-class citizen?
