Jazz drummer E.W. Wainwright uses music as a starting point to stress the values of discipline, hard work and self-respect for underserved kids through his African Roots of Jazz Performing Arts Academy. His well-rehearsed student drill and drum teams perform at school and in public, and his contemporary adult jazz ensemble plays at respected venues around the area. Known to students affectionately as "Baba Wain," the documentary recounts his harrowing journey through the civil rights movement and long career as a jazz musician. Despite enduring appalling prejudices during the sixties he continues to work for multicultural understanding. At the core of all his lessons with school children is an emphasis on cross-cultural appreciation. "Peace and love is part of everything we do here," he states, "Peace and love."