La vida de Cecil Gaines, mayordomo jefe de la Casa Blanca durante el mandato de ocho presidentes (1952-1986), lo que le permitió ser testigo directo de la historia política y racial de Estados Unidos.
Banda sonora con canciones, entre ellas "You And I Ain't Nothin' No More" (Gladys Knight), "I'm Determined To Run This Race" (The Meditation Singers), "Hurts Me To My Heart" (Faye Adams), "Ain't That A Kick In The Head" (Dean Martin), "Function At The Junction" (Shorty Long), "Tell Him" (Patti Drew) o "I'll Close My Eyes" (Dinah Washington).