Original subtitles

Well, we're moving on up. We're moving on up.

How much longer are we looking through this old stuff?

Why? Is there something else you'd rather do?

Well, Florence is near tonight, and I figured we could turn in early, and,

you know.

Really, George?

Oh, we could do that later.

Oh, come on, Wizzy, let's go now.

But, George, I'm flattered.

After all these years, you still can't wait.

No, it's not that. If I wait too long, I'll miss Johnny Carson.

then I'll have two men in the bedroom to make me laugh.

You know, we've sure come a long way since this was taken.

You got that right.

Who would have thought when we were living in Harlem that we'd have

we have now?

I'll tell you who. Me.

Yeah, you were pretty sure of yourself all right.

Remember the day you came home and told me you wanted to open your own cleaning

store? Yep. That was in, um, 1968.

Good afternoon.

This is Ed Cummings with the 5 o 'clock news for Thursday, April 4th. And now

the day's top story.

In Washington...

not to seek re -election, was entitled...

...fresh

from a resounding victory over President Johnson in the Wisconsin Democratic

primary...

is expected to offer.

Hey, Weaves, I'm home.

Oh, you're home early.

Boy, I'm so excited I can hardly wait.

Oh, you might have to. I've got a headache.

I'm not that kind of excited.

I'm getting ready to meet with a banker.

A banker? And if everything works out right, you can take off that maid

for good.

Why? So we'll both be standing around in our underwear?

Look, Weasley, put something nice on here. Be here in a minute.

George, why in the world is a banker coming here?

Okay, Weasley, what would you say if I was to tell you that I was going to go

into my own business?

Oh, well, I'd say take two aspirin. They call me in the morning.

Say you left.

But one day we're going to be so rich, you're going to have your own maid. You

can sit back and watch her do all the work.

Well, that sounds great, George.

But do you really think you could run your own business?

Of course I can't look Weasley. I've been working for Stevens for five years

now. Right? I run the pressure machine.

I tag all the clothes.

I wait on the customers. I make deliveries.

Who does Stevens have that I ain't got?

Chew their knees.

Yeah, Weasley. I'm tired of busting my butt making everybody else rich.

It's time I got a piece of the pie for me.

But George, how can you be so sure a bank is going to lend you money?

You ever hear of a bank lending salami?

Sure. Look, Wheezy, they got this new thing that's called the Minority Lending

Program.

And I hear all you need to qualify is to be colored, ambitious, and have a great

personality.

Well, two out of three ain't bad.

Look, Wheezy, I know how to talk to these people. I deal with people all the

time. All I gotta do is humor them, right?

And then, you know, make them think I'm on his side.

How are you gonna do that?

It's easy. I'll just wait for him to say something stupid and agree with him.

But what makes you think he's gonna say something stupid?

Come on, Wheezy.

Given enough time, everybody says something stupid.

Oh, I don't know. I think you should just be honest with the man.

See, that only took you four seconds.

Oh, shoot, I need a tie.

I got a tie right here somewhere?

Look in the wardrobe on the top shelf.

Man, I ain't wore this tie since the day we got married.

I wonder if it still fits.

Oh, shoot, I'll have trouble tying these things.

How did you tie your tie for our wedding?

I didn't. Mama did it.

Hey, maybe I ought to call her and ask her how to tie a tie.

Good idea. And while you're at it, ask her how to untie the apron string.

Oh, apron string.

George Jefferson?

That's me.

I'm William Drew from the Mercantile National Bank. Oh, yes, sir. Mr. Drew,

on in. Oh, thank you.

Are you all right?

Oh, yeah.

I was just taking a tie off.

Guess I'm comfortable from wearing it all day, you know.

Hope you don't mind.

Oh, no, no.

Oh, have a seat.

Thank you.

Oh, can I get you some coffee or something? Oh, no, no, no, no.

Well, I really can't stay long. My car's parked out front. I don't want to leave

it out there too long in a neighborhood like this.

You know what I mean.

Oh, yeah, I know what you mean.

Your home is very, very comfortable.

Thank you. But it ain't nearly as comfortable as the place I'm going to

once my new cleaning business makes me rich.

Oh, now, that's a healthy attitude, Mr. Jefferson. But I should caution you that

the majority of businesses in the first five years don't even show a profit.

But I'm not a majority.

I'm a minority, remember?

Now, let me see. You gave me most of the financial information over the phone.

What I need now is some personal data.

Data means information.

Right.

I didn't mean to imply that you... Oh, no, no, no. Everybody makes errors.

Exactly.

Errors means mistakes.

Right. Let me see. Are you married?

Oh, yep. Greatest woman in the world.

And how many children do you have? Just one. A thunt.

Really? Well, now, that's surprising.

It is?

Yeah. Don't most colored people have large families?

Well, I guess not, or we wouldn't be called a minority.

Hey!

Here she is now.

Louise, I'd like you to meet Mr. Drew, a white guy, I mean, a nice guy.

from the Mercantile Bank.

Hello, Mrs. Jefferson.

Nice to meet you. Your husband was just giving me some personal information.

Personal information means data.

Oh, no.

Lionel! What happened?

After the demonstration, the pigs showed up, started busting heads.

A demonstration? What are people demonstrating about?

Police brutality.

Are you okay?

Yeah, but they really messed up a couple of brothers.

Uh, brothers, but you told me you had only one boy.

Boy? Who is he?

Oh, Lionel, this is Mr. Drew from the bank.

Oh, is that your new Buick parked out front?

Yes. Is it all right?

Oh, it's fine, except for that bumper sticker that says America lover to leave

it. Well, if people don't like it in this country, they're perfectly free to

someplace else.

Oh, yes?

Lionel, look, I'm talking to Mr. Drew about giving me a loan to open my new

cleaning store.

Oh, so that's why you're wearing a suit. Oh, what he means is that's why I'm

wearing a suit now.

See, usually I take it off as soon as I get home from work.

You do?

Of course I do.

Please, do I have to take Lionel in the kitchen to make sure he's okay?

Oh, excuse me, Mr. Drew.

Come on, Lionel, I'll put some ice on your head.

Yeah, and why do you have to put some tape on his mouth?

Kids.

Mr. Jefferson, I hope your son isn't anti -police.

I mean, where would the people of this country be without law and order? In

jail.

Right. You know, it seems like every time I turn on the television these

people are protesting against this or marching against that. Yeah, I know what

you mean.

Yeah, and this country would be better off if people spent less time marching

and more time working. Right. We're going to open cleaning stores. We've got

clean this country up.

And him, he's the one who's causing most of it. That's right.

Martin Luther King? Yeah.

You know, I've heard that he's a communist.

A communist?

Mm -hmm. What do you think?

What do I think?

Oh, well, I think we should talk about me and my chances of getting a loan.

A loan? Oh, yes, yes.

You know, Mr. Jefferson, I'm very

impressed with you.

Oh, you are? Mm -hmm. And I'm going to recommend that your loan be approved.

Oh, that's great.

Well, we at the Mercantile Bank like to help people who want to help themselves.

That's me.

So I'll just bring the loan papers around tomorrow morning for your

if that's all right with you. Oh, sure, it's all right. That's fantastic.

Thanks a lot, Mr. Drew.

You're welcome.

You know, Jefferson, I wish all Negroes were like you.

Hey,

Wheezy Lotto, come on out here quick.

What happened, George?

I did it. I got the loan.

Oh, that's wonderful.

You deserve a big kiss.

I sure do.

But first, I got to show you something.

Come on over here.

This is the best surprise I could ever give you.

Hey, what a surprise. A key.

No, no, no. I'm going to show you the store. I ran it for the brand new

cleaners. But you still don't have the loan yet. Where did you get the money to

rent a store?

I sold our car for the down payment.

Stole our car?

George, how could you?

It wasn't easy, Weaves.

Getting 300 bucks for a 55 Chrysler with bald tires took a lot of talking.

Dandy cleaners. Ha -ha.

Handy dandy cleaners.

Right. Can you think of a better name?

Well, how about Jefferson cleaners? Oh, come on, please. Be serious. That would

never work.

Tom, I'm not sure this whole thing's going to work. Why not?

Lionel, you should be proud of what your father's doing.

Well, sure, I'm proud of what he's trying to do, but do you know what the

are for black men making it in this system? You know something, Lionel? You

start this out just like them black militants always yelling about

Down with the country! Down with the system! Down with everything!

Yeah, yeah, well, those brothers are doing a lot more than yelling. They are

taking action. Okay, you call it action. I call it violence.

Well, call it whatever you want, but what they're saying is the only way to

fight white power is with black power.

They're wrong, Lionel. That's not the only way. That's right. Martin Luther

is fighting back, but he's doing it the right way.

Nonviolent. Oh, yeah, well, what King is doing is fine, but just maybe the days

of sit -ins are over, right? I mean, just maybe it's time to stand up and

Oh, what's the sense in talking to you? Come on, Weed, snap.

Here is where I'll stack all the clean laundry, and this is where I'll have all

my cleaning equipment, and right here is where you will wait on the customers.

Okay, great, George.

Me?

Oh, yeah, congratulations.

You are the first employee of Handy Dandy Cleaners.

Really? What's my weekly salary?

Well, I'll give you a hint. It ends with a zero. Yeah?

And it starts with a zero.

But you got one big French benefit. You get to fool around with the boss.

Luther King. That's right. They shot him.

to the assassination of Martin Luther King.

In the nation's capital, armed troops stood guard at the White House.

What?

Morning, George.

Morning.

I'm afraid that television is on its last legs. Yeah, just like everything

in this country.

How long have you been up?

All night.

I couldn't stop thinking about it.

Me neither.

Boy, I even took sleeping pills. That didn't even help.

Sleeping pills?

Where did you get sleeping pills?

In the orange bottle in the medicine cabinet.

George, those are my hormone tablets.

What? I mean, what?

Don't worry. They won't have any effect on you. No, I guess you're right.

Morning, Mom.

Hi. Morning, son.

Hi, Lionel. You want some breakfast?

I'm not hungry. Thanks.

Well, I better call Mrs. Warren and tell her I won't be working today.

I thought you called her last night.

I tried, but the phone lines were clogged.

Did you find out who shot him yet? No.

Probably some nut, like the guys who shot President Lincoln and President

Kennedy.

Yeah. Well, this is some country, ain't it?

I mean, every time we get somebody who wants to help people, he gets gunned

down. Right.

Whoever invented guns ought to be shot.

But, Mrs. Warren, I... But, I know.

If you could just let me off this one day... What's the matter with you?

Mrs. Warren is having guests tonight, and she wants me to work. Give me that.

Hello, Mrs. Warren.

Yeah, that's right.

Oh, look, well, today is the day of mourning at our house.

Yeah, I know.

Well, I'll just get yourself a new maid.

Right on, Pop.

I don't believe these people want you to work today.

But, George, we need that job. No, you don't. We don't need nothing.

From now on, you're working for me, the president and general manager of Handy

Dandy Cleaning.

But aren't you being a little premature?

You still don't have the loan from the bank yet. Don't worry, I'll have it

Stupid television.

Hey, hey, don't worry. As soon as I get dressed, I'll just go out and get us a

new TV.

How are you going to do that?

The same way everybody else out there is doing it. I'll just take it.

Lionel, you know it's not right to steal.

Oh, yeah?

Oh, yeah.

Well, it's not right to kill people either. But that didn't stop her from

killing Martin Luther King.

We didn't raise you to be a thief.

Lionel, I want to talk to you.

Mr. Jefferson?

Yeah, who are you? It's me, William Drew.

Oh, Mr. Drew, come on in. Oh, thank you.

It's really crazy out there.

Well, I brought the loan papers over for you to sign.

Oh, but you didn't have to do that. You could have waited until Monday.

Oh, well, I would have, but today's the final day of the contest.

Oh, contest?

Yes, the bank is giving a prize for the most dollars in minority loans.

Oh, what do I win?

Oh, nothing.

But I win a new set of golf clubs.

Thanks to you.

Well, I'm glad I could help you out.

Now, all I need is your signature.

Uh -huh. When can I move into the new store?

Oh, oh, oh, about the store.

Well, you're going to have to get another place.

Another place, but I only want to open one store.

No, no, I mean you'll have to find a different neighborhood for your store.

Why? Well, Mr. Jefferson, you've seen what's going on out there. It isn't

Mr. Drew. I couldn't even drive my car up here today. I had to take a cab.

Fortunately, I got a Negro cabbie.

Well, this ain't that bad a neighborhood.

Not a bad neighborhood.

Well, the people out there are tearing down everything in sight.

That's because they're just angry about what happened last night.

Look, my bank can't let you open a store in an area where the people behave like

animals. Animals? So, Mr. Jefferson, if you want the loan, you'll just have to

locate your store in a more respectable neighborhood.

Oh, you mean like a white neighborhood?

That's a thought.

Well, do you want the loan or not?

Do I want the loan?

Do I want the loan?

Hell no, I don't want the loan.

I don't want nothing from you honky. Honky? That's right, honky.

What's going on, George? I'm throwing this honky out of here. Mr.

Jefferson, this is no way to treat a banker. It's the only way to treat a

like you. I'm withdrawing you from my house and depositing you in the street.

Are you sure this is what you want to do? No, what I really want to do is

against the law.

George, why did you throw Mr.

Drew out the door?

Because he wouldn't fit through the window.

Did you lose the loan?

Yeah, I lost the loan, but I found my dignity.

I can't believe that chump. He called people in this neighborhood animals.

Oh, well, George, in that case, I'm glad you threw him out. Yeah, I felt that

too.

The only way to fight white power is with black power. The militants are

They are not right, and you know it.

Now, I want you to go in there and talk to Lionel. Why?

Because he won't listen to me. He says he's going out there and steal a

television. Okay, I'll go talk to him. Good.

I'm going to tell him to make sure he gets one with a remote controller.

Let's face it, Weasley. The only way we're going to get anything from Whitey

by taking it. Well, if Lionel goes out there, he'll just be proving what some

white people think. I don't care what the honkies think. I'm tired of getting

what they think.

Okay, George, I guess you're right.

In fact, why don't you go out there with Lionel? We could use a stereo, too.

What? And while you are out there, get rid of this thing.

What are you doing? Oh, we don't need this picture anymore. The man is dead.

What? Oh, Dr. King is probably looking down on us right now, saying, get out

there and get what you can.

Burn, baby, burn.

No, he'd never say that.

Then why are you sending Lionel out there?

I don't know, Tammy. I don't know nothing anymore.

See you all later. Where do you think you're going? Out.

I am going to let this country know that this time they have pushed us too far.

Look, Lionel, Lionel, Lionel, I know how you feel, but violence is not the

answer. Oh, yeah? Well, what is the answer?

Nonviolence? I mean, that's what Martin Luther King thought, and you see where

it got him.

Lionel. Lionel!

Martin Luther King helped accomplish a lot for our people. Oh, sure, he tried,

but what did he really accomplish? I mean, nothing's changed. You're wrong,

Lionel. Lots of things have changed. Maybe not as fast as we'd like, but

having a lot of changes.

Look.

I remember the first day I realized that I was colored black.

Okay, black.

I was sitting on the doorstep of my father.

Then I hear this siren screaming loud and loud and loud and coming closer and

closer and closer, right?

Then all of a sudden this great big red fire truck comes racing around the

corner right past our house.

So I'm all excited, you know, and I look at my father and say, wow, when I grow

up I want to be a fireman.

And he just looked at me and he smiled and said, yeah.

Don't you know, George, that they don't let Negroes on the fire department?

And for a long time after that, I felt like less of a person just because I was

black.

Then Martin Luther King comes along and reminds me that I am just as good as

everybody else. He gave me hope.

He gave me the confidence to go out there and start my own business. And

what I'm going to do.

Pop, see, you're dreaming.

I mean, we got no car.

We got no TV.

Mom's got no job.

No loan.

No loan? That's right.

Well, then how are you going to start your business?

Now, I don't know, Lionel. I won't do it.

You can do whatever you want, if you really want to.

Right, Will?

Your father is right, Lionel. We shall overcome.

Right before his death, Reverend King delivered the following speech to

sanitation workers in Memphis.

that now.

I just want to do God's will