Bumpy Johnson møter familien etter ti år i Alcatraz-fengselet. Han vil ta tilbake makten i Harlem, som nå styres av mafia-bossen Vincent Gigante. Han finner en overraskende alliert i den radikale aktivisten Malcolm X, en gammel venn av Bumpy.

Bumpy Johnson må ta tilbake kontrollen over narkotikahandelen hvis han skal styre Harlem. Han iscenesetter et herointyveri for å få det til.

Når Bumpys datter blir arrestert for tyveri, bruker Malcolm X og Adam Clayton Powell hendelsen til sin fordel. Mafiaen avslører sin skjulte agenda, og Bumpy må vurdere om hevnen er verdt et mulig opprør i Harlem.

Cassius Clay møter den lokale boksehelten Doug Jones i ringen. Mayme insisterer på at Bumpy skal backe Jones, som er talsmann for en ungdomsorganisasjon i Harlem. Men Malcolm presser på for at han skal støtte Clay i stedet.

Bumpy innser at lotteriet er en økonomisk katastrofe og at Chin har rigget tallene for å sette ham ut av spill. For å betale tilbake spillerne må Bumpy få hjelp, men finner ut at fienden hans er smartere enn han noensinne hadde trodd.

Elijah Muhammed besøker Malcolm X's moske der han møter Elise, og ber henne om å spionere på Malcolm. Chin finner ut Teddy er i live, og forlanger at Ernie Nunzi må rette opp feilen han har gjort. Esther James saksøker Adam Clayton Powell.

Bumpy tar opp kampen med italienerne, og oppdager samtidig Chins mørke fortid. Mayme og Elise setter uenigheter til siden, og Bumpy tilbringer tid med konen og barna før han må gå til kamp.

Bumpy er rasende etter å ha blitt forsøkt drept, og ønsker hevn. Samtidig som Malcolm X og Adam Clayton Powell slutter seg til den fredelige protestmarsjen mot Washington, må Bumpy bestemme seg for om en voldelig gjerning vil endre hans skjebne.

Når levevillkårene leder til en voldelig protest i Harlem, må Bumpy overbevise Adam Clayton Powell om å trappe ned etterforskningen før italienerne slår til. Chin prøver å få mafiaen til å vende seg mot Bumpy ved å avsløre at han har drept noen i «familien».

I dagene etter snikmordet av JFK må Bumpy forsvare seg selv mot mordanklager, og sender familien sin bort i trygghet. Malcolm blir utvist fra «the Nation», og Bumpy innser at han må beskytte vennen sin.

Bumpy Johnson prøver å gjenerobre herredømme over Harlem, samtidig som han kjemper om kontroll over den lukrative "French Connection"-heroinlinjen.

Bumpy Johnson wants to use his new French supplier to distribute to the “Harlems” of other major American cities. Malcolm X uses Cassius Clay to leverage himself back into favor with the Nation of Islam before Clay’s famous fight versus Sonny Liston.

When innocent black teenagers and bystanders are savagely beaten and arrested by police, the Harlem community rallies to free them. Adam Clayton Powell and Mayme Johnson use peaceful protest, but Bumpy Johnson and Malcolm X prefer street justice.

An unlikely partnership proves to be extremely lucrative for Bumpy Johnson and Chin Gigante, but their success puts targets on their backs. Malcolm X fights off attacks on his character and his life.

An incident at the Geechee Club threatens to break up Bumpy and Chin's partnership. Adam Clayton Powell looks to end the filibuster on the Civil Rights Bill, even if it means playing dirty.

Three Freedom Riders are murdered in Mississippi, and Bumpy Johnson wants justice, as well as a hedge against Federal investigation. Chin Gigante evades imprisonment with an “insanity” defense, and Malcolm X delivers his most fervent call to action.

Before accepting a prestigious award, Bumpy Johnson contemplates the many contradictions in his life, and struggles to do what's best for his family; Chin Gigante learns a difficult truth about his daughter, Stella.

Confronted with a betrayal in his ranks, Bumpy Johnson hunts for enemies within his Ten Harlems. The conflict between Malcolm X and the Nation of Islam escalates from threats to outright violence.

Bumpy Johnson must protect the Italian mob when Joseph Bonanno decides to abolish the Commission; captain Omar takes his campaign against Malcolm X to a new level.

Bumpy Johnson must fend off rivals to receive the largest dope shipment in New York history, while Harlem explodes into riot; Malcolm X reluctantly agrees to protection from an unusual source.

To repay a drug debt owed to the Italians after the Harlem riots, Bumpy Johnson robs from his own community. Omar seeks to return to Elise and Malcolm's good graces. Someone close to Stella orders a hit on her life.

When Joe Colombo carries out a gentleman's kidnapping of Mayme, Bumpy angrily prepares for a coming war.

Jose Battle asks for a favor from his new partner Bumpy Johnson: a political assassination. Malcolm X is detained by Saudi authorities when he travels to Mecca. The district attorney's office targets Mayme for her gangster ties.

When two uniformed cops attack the Geechee, Bumpy and Battle make a play for control of local 27th police precinct. Stella decides whether to rat Colombo out to the Feds. Meanwhile, Malcolm's life is threatened in Cairo.

Bumpy and Colombo face off for control of the heroin trade when Monsieur 98 returns to bring in the next shipment. Omar makes a romantic appeal to Elise. Pettigrew discovers cocaine through his love affair with a Cuban woman.

Bumpy utilizes Battle's contacts in the CIA to secure a steady supply of a new drug: cocaine. Stella lies to Fineman in an attempt to escape Colombo's oversight. Mayme applies for a government contract for Palmetto.

When Battle's arrested, Bumpy must find a way to spring him and find the mole. Bumpy discovers that Malcolm X has more enemies than they thought.

Bumpy uncovers a CIA plot to assassinate Malcolm X and Che Guevara at the United Nations. Malcolm writes his autobiography. Olympia utilizes Father Louis to get out of trouble.

Chin Gigante is released from prison and seeks to excise Joe Colombo from the Commission.

Bumpy and Chin enlist Morgenthau's help to prevent Colombo and Battle from bringing in a shipment of heroin, guns, and cocaine. Stella must choose between Colombo and her father.