Pierre Delacroix, an African-American television writer, is frustrated with his network's indifference to his pitches for intelligent, socially relevant shows. To get out of his contract, he devises a satirical plan to create a modern-day minstrel show that is so offensive it will surely be rejected. Astonishingly, his racist and exaggerated proposal is greenlit by the network. Enlisting the help of Manray, a talented street performer, and his friend Womack, Pierre develops "Mantan: The New Millennium Minstrel Show," featuring them in blackface. As the show gains popularity, Pierre's initial satire quickly gives way to genuine controversy and widespread success.

Pierre's assistant, Sloan Hopkins, grows increasingly uncomfortable with the show's racial content but is caught between her professional responsibilities and her moral viewpoints. As the minstrel show begins to foster societal debates and undeniable racial tension, Pierre is forced to confront the ethical implications of his creation. What started as a method to escape his professional contract spirals into a social phenomenon that impacts everyone involved. Tensions reach a boiling point as the personal and societal consequences of exploitative entertainment unravel.