Bessie's experiences with racism in New York prompt her to become a political activist. Once she attends a protest of Birth of a Nation that's led by W.E.B. Dubois.
Bessie has valid reasons for her growing political agitation—one night, she's chased down by the KKK in Long Island, of all places.
Despite these struggles, "one of the happiest days" of her life is when women are awarded the right to vote in 1920 (5.21.24).