Original subtitles

I am never setting foot in that classroom again.

I know, baby. You quit teaching about once a week.

- This time I mean it, Dwayne. - Uh-huh.

Those kids will look back and remember how they laughed

at their overworked, underpaid teacher.

I, who have tried to be their tree of knowledge.

Looks like you're losing some leaves there, tree.

You don't know what this is?

You've got a branch, a glass of water�

What is this, elephant droppings?

It's a rock, Dwayne. Maya Angelou's inaugural poem,

"A rock, a river, a tree,

hosts to species long since departed�"

Don't mind me.

Speaking of species, that should have long since departed.

Thank you.

That's the river of life you just drank.

Tastes like regular tap water.

I can't go back in there and try to teach those hoodlums

about their culture and history.

I don't even relate to children. I never have, and I never will. I quit.

Look, I'm out of there. You can't change my mind.

- Hey, you guys. Listen. - Lena Horne is coming to Hillman.

Lena Horne?

Wait till I tell my kiddies.

? I know my parents loved me ?

? Stand behind me Come what may ?

? Come what may ?

? I realize that I'm ready ?

? I'm ready ?

? 'Cause I finally heard them say ?

? I heard them say ?

- ? It's a different world ? ? It's a different world ?

? From where you come from ?

? A different world ?

? Now, here's our chance to make it ?

? Here's our chance ?

? If we focus on our goal ?

? Focus on our goal ?

? If you dish it We can take it ?

? We can take it ?

? Just remember that you've been told ?

? That it's a different world ?

? It's a different world ?

? It's a different world ?

? It's a different world ?

? From where you come from ?

? It's a different world ?

? It's a different world ?

? From where you come from ?

? It's a different world ?

? From where you come from, yeah ?

Lena Horne started her career at the Cotton Club at age 16.

Her beauty and her talent brought her to Hollywood,

where she broke stereotypes of Black women always playing prostitutes and maids.

Lena Horne was our first Black sex symbol.

All right, all right.

She was a pin-up girl during World War II.

World War II? She probably like a prune now.

Yeah, like my nana.

All she ever does is take out her teeth.

We are not talking about your nana's teeth right now.

We're talking about Lena Horne, a force of nature.

So, Lena is a rock?

No, man, she's a river.

You're both wrong. She's a tree.

She's all three,

and unlike me, she loves children.

That is why you will be taking part in a dancing and singing tribute

in honor of Miss Horne at Hillman College.

Singing and dancing for some old lady?

What we going to learn by doing that?

What you're gonna learn young lady

is that by not knowing your history, you're parading your ignorance.

Are we gonna have a parade, too?

Okay. You listen to me.

Listen to me good.

You will be in that tribute.

You'll like it.

You'll dance pretty and you'll sing pretty.

You'll learn all of the facts about Lena Horne,

and it will inspire you,

and it will change your lives forever.

Any questions?

All those in favor

of an informal reception, raise your hands.

One, two.

All those in favor of a formal reception, raise your hands.

Tie again.

Please. I told you that wannabe divas and democracy do not mix.

My vote counts for more

because I know more about Lena Horne than you do.

And too many cooks spoil the broth.

Speaking of broth,

Charmaine, I hate to be a fussbudget,

but there's something dreadfully wrong with this pea soup.

Did Mr. Gaines use sugar instead of salt again?

Too many old cooks spoil the broth.

Don't talk about Mr. Gaines like that Whitley.

- Hello. Hello, ladies. - Hey, Dean.

How goes it with the Lena Horne welcoming committee?

Maybe you can break our tie.

What tie? There is no tie.

Well, I like to think of myself as combining the wisdom of Solomon

and the beauty of Sheba.

Let me put this in the fairest way possible.

I say we throw a reception befitting the elegance

of the great lady that Lena Horne is.

They want to throw a hoedown.

Kim and Freddie, I'm surprised at you.

We must treat royalty like royalty.

See?

The only way I survived my childhood in Chitlin' Switch, Alabama,

was by watching Lena's movies.

She gave me the courage

to become the strong Black woman that I am today.

Yeah.

? Can't go on ?

Remember?

? Everything I had is gone ?

? Stormy weather ?

? Can't keep my� ?

? Poor self together ?

? It's raining all the time� ?

What's all this howling going on in here?

Sounds like two cats on a hot tin roof.

- Tell it. - Lena Horne is coming to Hillman.

Not if she hears you.

Lena Horne made the good old days the good old days.

There he goes, with that good old days stuff.

He can't help it if the groove on his record is stuck.

I remember meeting Lena when she sang for the troops in Korea.

Wrong. She never sang for the troops in Korea.

It was World War II. I served in both.

When they wouldn't let her sing in Washington, D.C.,

Mrs. Roosevelt, the president's wife,

invited her to sing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.

Wrong again, Mr. Gaines. That was Marian Anderson.

Well, it was one of them.

But I would be honored to provide the vittles

for this reception.

No. There will be no hog maws and cornbread in this reception.

The only greens we will see will be in watercress sandwiches.

But Miss Horne loves Southern cooking, young lady.

I'm sure you're a tad confused

on that tip, too, Mr. Gaines� as usual.

I'm confused? I'm confused?

You know something? You don't know when to quit, man.

How can you treat him like that?

Mr. Gaines, listen�

Kimberly Reese, I might have been born in 1928,

but I still know a thing or two.

We know you know a lot of stuff.

Kimberly, don't even start it.

Old folks don't mind being corrected by these young people,

but it's just the way some of them do it.

Listen, we love you very much, Mr. Gaines, but sometimes�

I made a mistake.

- I put a little sugar in the pea soup. - Well, yeah.

Yeah, why do you think it was half price?

Attention.

After the reception, we'll have a little rehearsal, okay?

In the meantime, you go over these Lena Horne facts.

Look at you,

looking like little gentlemen and ladies.

Keep up the good impersonation.

She'll be here any moment, Whitley.

- What is wrong with you? - I've got butterflies in my tummy.

You'd better take Lena Horne's example as a strong Black woman,

and pull yourself together.

Lena's in the building!

- Lena's in the building! - Lena.

Hello.

Hello.

Hello, Miss Horne.

It's�

Likewise.

I'm Whitley Gilbert-Wayne,

the head of the Student Welcoming Committee, Miss Horne.

Honey, get up off the floor. I'm not the queen of England.

Miss Horne, I have seen your Broadway show 27 times.

When you sang "Copper Colored Gal," you looked straight at me.

I got goosebumps all over, little prickly ones down my neck

just like I have right now.

Can I get you a drink?

No, I think you've had enough for both of us.

I have a little secret to share with you.

You know that foundation that they invented for you,

that Light Egyptian?

I wear that.

And I feel you, you know?

I feel like we have so much in common. You know what I mean?

No.

What Whitley means is that as a member of the Black bourgeoisie,

she relates to you on a skin-deep level.

But I've studied how you fought

for non-discrimination clauses built in your contracts.

Don't badger Miss Horne.

Freddie Brooks.

As a politically conscious law student, I want to say one thing,

and I mean this with the greatest respect,

right on, soul mama.

Thank you, Freddie.

Please don't encourage her, Miss Horne.

I want you to meet my pupils.

They know more about you than you know yourself.

I hope you didn't put all my business into the street.

I love that down-home sense of humor.

- Dwayne! Dwayne! - Yes. Shh. Baby, baby, it's okay.

I'm Dwayne Wayne, Whitley's husband.

I'm from Bed-Stuy, like you.

I'm glad to know Brooklyn is producing those fine, patient brothers.

Miss Horne, I admire your style as a songstress.

I'm a musician, a drummer by trade.

If I could ever deck a little diddle for you�

What kind of language is that to use in front of Miss Horne?

My name is Lena, and I'm so proud to be named after you.

- Thank you. - You're still as beautiful

as my father said.

- Please. - Yo, yo. Miss Horne.

Meaning no disrespect, but as good as you look today,

I'd drink your daddy's bath water.

You little pig.

Why are we treating Miss Horne like a Playboy Bunny?

Darling, at my age, I'm thrilled.

I used to wear those short, cute outfits like that.

If I did that today, they'd put me in jail.

Thank you, Miss Horne. She likes my outfit.

Hi. I'm Lena.

I thought you was gonna look different.

Like a dried-up old raisin?

What are you doing with them big books?

We have to learn all this stuff about you.

I want to learn everything about you.

I think I was about your age when I went into the Cotton Club.

I used to hate to get all dressed up in that silk and satin stuff.

I hate it, too.

I bet you'd rather be listening to Mary J. Blige and Whitney Houston, hm?

Wait a minute, you heard of them?

I learn a lot from listening to young singers.

My name is Olufemi, sister.

- What do you think of rap? - It's all right.

They didn't have rap back in them olden days.

But we had scat and bebop,

all the things that are the granddaddies of what y'all are doing today.

You got to remember, everything good comes from something that came before.

- That's what Miss Gilbert-Wayne says. - Well, she's right.

I know where I've seen you. You played Glinda in The Wiz.

Yeah!

Damn! What's Michael Jackson really like?

He's a gentleman.

Kimberly, this is so exciting.

Everybody is here.

Yeah, everybody except Mr. Gaines.

Can you imagine the bama beverage he'd be serving?

Stop it!

Stop pulling on his big ears.

You must be the only one here I haven't shaken hands with.

- Hi, I'm Kim Reese, Miss Horne. - Hello.

Can I get you something?

No, I'm really not the champagne-bubbly, finger-sandwich type.

I want to ask you, if this is a Southern college,

where is the cornbread and the okra?

Miss Horne, I can get you the best down-home meal you've ever had

and get you back in time for the ceremony.

Lead the way.

Miss Horne, I know you get this an awful lot,

but Mr. Gaines thinks he remembers meeting you.

If he's as good a cook as you say he is,

- I'll go along with anything. - Good.

Mr. Gaines, you have a customer.

The Pit is closed.

Someone who is very hungry, Mr. Gaines.

Kimberly Reese, The Pit is closed.

Oh, my goodness.

Where is she? I've looked everywhere.

- I'll go look upstairs for you. - Okay.

Lena? Miss Horne?

Whitley! Whitley! I can only tell the president of the university

that Miss Horne is in the ladies' room for so long.

Now where is she, Whitley?

I don't know how to tell you this, but�

I've think I've lost Lena Horne.

You've lost one of the Seven Wonders of the World?

Hey!

You don't understand, Dean.

She was right there, and then she was gone.

I know the ceremony starts in an hour.

Worst of all, it's beginning to rain outside.

? Can't go on ?

? Everything I had is gone ?

I know, "Stormy Weather."

? Stormy weather� ?

Where is she?

Miss Horne?

? Can't keep my poor heart together ?

? It's raining all the time ?

Well, here we go.

Baking powder biscuits, chicken fricassee

with dumplings and greens.

How do you like that okra, Lena?

It's just like I love it, with lots of butter and salt and pepper.

Mr. Gaines? Are you married?

Yes, but you can make me an offer.

You're the kind of man could really stick to my ribs.

Kimberly, did I tell you about the first and only time

that I met Lena Horne, back in Korea--

- No, that was World War II. - World War II.

I had a picture

of Lena Horne in my footlocker.

I never will forget the time that you came to sing

for the soldiers at Fort Riley.

- Do you remember that, Lena? - I always loved singing for the troops.

Not this time, you didn't.

She came on stage, Kimberly, to find the Negro soldiers

were stuck way behind the German prisoners of war.

You got so mad, you refused to perform for that reception.

I was the one that gave you

that chicken noodle soup in the mess hall.

It had stars in it.

I think you had more hair then, didn't you?

Yes, I did.

- See, I told you she'd remembered. - Yes.

Yes. Oh, my goodness.

Miss Horne, I don't know how to thank you.

But I really do remember that.

And the way they treated our troops, it teed me off.

Mr. Gaines knows Lena�

Kimberly Reese, where have you been?

It's raining cats and dogs out there.

Meet my boyfriend Spencer. This is Lena Horne.

- Hello. - What a feast.

Come on, join us.

No, I meant a feast of beauty.

Oh, I love a man with dreads.

Lena, you know what I miss most about the good old days?

The Saturday night dances,

and I still can do a mean Lindy.

Listen, there's nothing more boring

than two old codgers limping down memory lane.

See? That's it.

Mr. Gaines, you can take a couple of lessons from Miss Horne.

Miss Horne�

- You're okay. - Come on down here and try the okra.

No, that's okay. I just wanted to make sure you're all right.

Y'all keep on having fun.

Listen, me and you.

Listen, I'm really sorry. I knew you were worried, but it was raining outside.

How could you do this to me, Kimberly?

And more importantly, how could you do this to Miss Horne?

Look, she's having fun.

And look at Mr. Gaines, look at that.

As if heartburn isn't enough, you have to subject her to Mr. Gaines.

Whitley, how can you admire Lena for being a survivor,

and not honor Mr. Gaines for the same thing?

How could you compare this great lady

with some sweet old man that's losing his mind?

It's too bad you don't know the answer to that.

Ladies and gentlemen,

the students of Joseph E. Johnston Elementary School

proudly present Lena Horne.

This is your life.

I was a Black, Southern belle and an activist.

My name is Cora Calhoun Horne,

and I was your grandmother.

You and I started out at the Cotton Club together.

My name is Cab Calloway,

and you were fine.

I told Hollywood I can pay someone to be my daughter's maid.

So she doesn't need to be playing one on that big screen.

I was your daddy.

There was one part you wanted to play most,

a Black woman passing for white in Show Boat,

but I got the part instead because I was white.

I figured if Ava Gardner got your part then,

then I could play her now.

All right.

When you wanted to quit Hollywood, I told you, "You gots to stay."

And I said, "Baby, you must not be selfish."

"Let the whole world benefit from your radiance."

My name is Duke Ellington.

And mine is Count Basie. We made beautiful music together.

My name is Paul Robeson.

I gave you courage, and you passed it along.

Lena! Lena! Lena!

Lena! Lena! Lena!

I'm glad to be here to dedicate this scholarship

in honor of my grandmother, Cora Horne,

and I want to thank all of you,

especially the young people.

I'm gonna try to tell a tiny little story,

but every time I tell a story, I need a little music under it,

and I may need some help.

Now, I have an old friend here,

and between the two of us, we're 30 years older than God,

but that's all right, because the best thing about living

is getting a chance to keep on doing it.

- All right. - Yeah.

Mr. Gaines,

would you come up here and help me, please?

Okay, then. Okay, then.

Come on.

Come on.

Now, here goes my story.

? Believe you can go home, yeah ?

? Believe you can float on air ?

? Click your heels ?

? Oh, yeah ?

- ? Three times ? - ? Child ?

? If you believe ?

? You believe ?

? Well, then ?

? You know you're gonna be there ?

? So ?

? Go ahead, believe in yourself ?

? Believe in yourself ?

? Believe in yourself ?

? Believe in yourself ?

? Believe in yourself ?

? I mean, believe ?

? Just as I believe ?

? In you ?

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