Fannie Lou Harris is a dreamer. As a young African American girl sharecropping with her family in rural North Carolina, she dreams of becoming a doctor. But after migrating north to New York City, Fannie finds that academic success is no small feat growing up in the Rosa Parks Housing Projects in the South Bronx. Despite the odds, young Fannie Lou learns to do well in school, stand up for her beliefs, and - smoke After putting forth much effort, she finally gains admission to medical school where she meets a cast of colorful and comical characters. The tough times have just begun, when Fannie Lou finds herself falling in love, working to master the rigorous medical school curriculum, struggling to quit smoking and learning to take care of her patients. When her medical school faces the budget cutting ax, and is threatened with closure, Fannie Lou faces her greatest challenge. She and her buddies take on political corruption and the tobacco industry, in an effort to save their school and Fannie finds out for the second time, that doing the right thing can sometimes get you into serious trouble.