Willie Mays' life is a beacon of the "American Dream" intersecting with a transformative era of the Black American experience. Mays transfixed fans from coast to coast with his style, jubilant persona and contagious smile, and helped to erode racial barriers and move the sport of baseball, and the American dialog, forward. Following Mays' life both on and off the field over five decades as he navigated the American sports landscape and the country's ever-evolving cultural backdrop.