“Do you think Black kids in the south will have a right to eat at the lunch counters?” are the first words that open the trailer for Amazon Prime’s An American Girl Story Melody, 1963: Love Has To Win.

The voice is innocent and inquisitive. The question is heavy and one that, in many ways, we are still asking today.

The camera then transitions to black and white TV screens showing Black people holding picket signs as they march for justice.

Set in 1963 Detroit, Melody centers around 10-year-old Melody (black-ish star Marsai Martin) whose eyes are opened to the racial inequality that surrounds her, including the Birmingham Church Bombing. The current state of society causes her to question the “indivisible” promise spoke of in the country’s Pledge of Allegiance. In addition, Melody further challenges her White counterparts to see that she, a Black girl, has the same rights to the world as they do.

She endures an emotional journey, but it doesn’t break Melody’s spirit. After her mother instills in her the importance of “stand[ing] up for what’s right, even when it’s hard or scary”, the intuitive youth, presses on with strength and courage.

As stated during a heartfelt moment in the trailer, “this country may limit your freedom but you can never limit your mind.”

Check out the trailer below:



em>An American Girl Story Melody, 1963: Love Has To Win premieres, Friday Oct. 21 on Amazon Prime Video and is executive produced by Common.