People of Means by Nancy Johnson

In 1959, Freda Gilroy, loves mathematics and is a freshman at Fisk University in Nashville. From a wealthy black family in Chicago, Freda hadn't thought a lot about what attending college in the south would mean. She's unprepared for the prejudice and, with the civil rights movement heating up, she wonders how she can contribute--and if she even should. Freda is also torn between Gerald, who is strictly focused on his studies and becoming a doctor, and Darius, an inspirational speaker who begins to devote all of his time to the movement. Freda's story alternates with that of her daughter Tulip, who, in 1992, lives in Chicago and is trying to get a promotion at the public relations firm where she works. Tulip is also dating Key, who her parents don't approve of and won't meet because he drives a bus for the city. With the trial of the police officers who beat Rodney King on the horizon, Tulip decides to become involved locally in the cause--but will it come at a personal cost?