Chapter 17 Summary

The Haileys' pastor, Ollie Agee, convenes the Council of Ministers, a twenty-three-member board of the local black ministers who meet regularly to wield their political clout on behalf of the black community. Agee proposes a defense fund for Carl Lee as well as a support fund for his family, offering to administer the funds. The Council unanimously agrees. They agree further that the NAACP must be brought in, as this is clearly a case of racism.

Jake and Carla skip church on Sunday morning and, after a leisurely breakfast, take Hanna on a picnic to the lake. Hanna was born ten weeks premature, Jake remembers, and the doctors suggested no more children. She is now a beautiful, perfect child whose voice can still bring tears to her father's eyes. As Hanna plays, Jake and Carla relax and talk about lawyers' ethics. He reveals...