Born into poverty in the 1930s, Robert Brown was raised by his grandmother, who told him, "The best way to influence others is to be helpful," and "You can't go wrong by doing right." Fueled by these lessons on humble, principled service, Brown went on to play a pivotal, mostly unseen role in American politics. Documenting a remarkable life, Brown reflects on trailing the mob in 1950s Harlem with a young Robert F. Kennedy; helping Woolworth integrate their lunch counters; accompanying Coretta Scott King to Memphis the day after her husband had been shot; advising Richard Nixon on how to support black entrepreneurship; and becoming the only person allowed to visit Nelson Mandela in Pollsmoor prison.