Original subtitles

[heavy breathing]

[sobbing]

[suspenseful music]

[water rushes]

[somber music]

[sighs]

[somber music]

Two minutes, Jay.

-JG! -[JG] What?

Shut up, Mom's asleep, open the door.

[JG] No, I can't, I'm naked!

Naked.

-[hand slapping] -[JG] Ow, stupid!

[birds chirp]

[wind blows]

[heavy breathing]

[insects buzzing]

[light gentle music]

[squeal echoes]

Come on JG.

Told you I wasn't waitin'.

Stay calm today JG, no fighting, nothing.

Remember!

Yeah.

She can't have to come down here.

All right.

Aye!

[wings flapping]

["Born N Raised" by Pitbull playing]

[woman] Hey, don't touch my clothes!

You stashin' in there?

No.

They, they done Miss Cueva.

You can check, I was just--

[indistinct chatter]

[squeal echoes]

[suspenseful music]

[brakes squeal]

[driver] Y'all 'ville kids kill me.

You ain't see the big ol' bus coming, huh?

Shoulda been had your money ready.

[coins clatter]

You gotta pay the full fare.

I don't know you're going to school.

[tapping]

I'm going to school.

What school?

Galvin Magnet.

-Huh? -Magnet.

Huh.

Ain't you gonna be late?

If you don't drive off, yes.

[coins clatter]

Oh, oh, okay!

Boy, y'all Magnet school kids kill me.

Next time you get on my bus with all that mouth,

I'm gonna leave you behind standing right there,

ya hear me?

Huh?

Magnet.

You all right?

Rough morning?

Don't let Homes bother you.

Fuck Homes.

He's mad cause his kids in a regular school.

You ain't regular are you?

You're in Magnet.

Yeah, Magnet, that's good.

Magnet means you made a choice.

It is gonna lead to prep.

What you trying to go Hurston, young brain?

[claps] Hey, there's nothing down there, nothing at all.

People need to see your eyes, Dai.

You cannot sink down, not today.

Ain't today your presentation?

Yeah.

Yeah, stay on top like a man or woman.

Keep your head up.

Make sure you go first.

You stay ready, you ain't got to get.

-[brakes squeal] -[book thumps]

[bus doors hiss]

[bus engine revs]

[soaring music]

[crowd chatters]

[crickets chirp]

[light instrumental music]

Man of war.

[Marissa] What are you doing?

Seren, get out now.

Good mornin', DJ.

Mornin', Mrs. K.

Hey.

[car door slams]

Have a great day, Ma.

You too, baby.

-Better. -[car door slams]

Good luck today.

[car door opens and closes]

[engine revs]

Hey, I'll see you bro.

Yeah, after slow...

math.

[laughs] Now, you a clown, brother.

What? Everybody can't be full time Magnet like you.

Genius, that boy, that boy's a genius.

Ready?

DJ, it's too early for all that.

Get ready.

Stay ready you won't have to get ready, Miss Sheryl.

Get your ass to class, DJ.

[bell rings]

[upbeat music]

[Woods-Trap] Did no one take the time during the barbecue

and football with the family dog to think of old Woods-Trap?

Where do you come from?

Show of hands, please.

How many did the assignment?

Ha, ha-clom! Ha-clom! Ha-clom!

[students laugh]

From?

Come on people.

I'm not making a fool of myself for no reason.

Next year, you will thank Dr. WT.

High school classes won't be this precise.

Except, of course, if you get into Mast,

or your parents can afford Lords, or Hurston.

Maybe if you get into Hurston.

Now, where's it from?

Was that really from something

or were you just making some noise?

Two points off DJ.

Two?

I don't waste your time, don't waste mine.

Talkin' 'bout is that real, come on boy, please.

Earnum vac, where's it from?

Something native or original American.

Nice.

Jesse Edward? Were you ready?

Hmm?

He wasn't ready.

Marissa, north or south?

Huh?

Huh, if you can huh you can--

[Students] Hear.

Thank you.

There were thousands of languages

amongst the indigenous people of North and South America.

Did Ole Woods-Trap learn that

in a course in some dusty college hall?

Or, did her ancestors wash 'round the other side

of the Andes and take up the war against the Spanish

with the native people?

How did I get here?

What is your story?

Will there be one?

[sighs]

Um... [clears throat]

I prepared, um,

more like--

[Woods-Trap] More like or prepared,

don't waste our time, Seren.

No, I begin my study on music.

And you can sing so you though it an easy A?

Admitting that music can at times come easy to me,

I used that as my start, which led me to the Galvin family,

the family that started this school back in, um,

back in...

1939 as the only all black school in the area.

There weren't any other places for them to learn,

so they came here.

My dad, my step-dad,

Ray, he's a great-nephew of the farm family, the Galvins.

Anyway, what made this school so popular

wasn't the teaching.

I mean most of the people around were,

were day laborers and farm hands

in the strawberry and melon patches,

but the school had a choir that would sing.

So, okay, hold on.

[feedback squeals]

Sorry, sorry.

[feedback squeals]

[squeal echoes]

You all right, DJ?

♪ Be my woman girl I'll

♪ Be your man

That's just an example of the types of songs they sung.

They were work songs

and when the laborers and the farmers would hear

it all around while they were working,

they would come and sign their kids up for classes.

So, the topic is how these songs that built railroads,

plowed fields, and constructed schools even,

how their call and response became our music of today.

♪ Be my woman girl I'll

♪ Be your man

♪ Be my woman girl I'll

♪ Be your man

[class applauds]

And that's why my...

how our music,

the legacy of our peoples' music,

black peoples' legacy, that's who I am,

where I come from, both joy and pain,

work and free.

And I just want to teach it to you all,

so you could, so you can know some of how I got here

and where I come from.

[Woods-Trap] Well done.

Let's have it.

If music be the food of life...

Play on.

Amen.

Someone takes his education seriously.

Can you all come closer?

♪ Stick to the promise and I'll ♪

So, I'mma say that first part

and then y'all say,

♪ Be your man

You too, Doctor.

[laughs] Okay.

♪ Stick to the promise and I'll ♪

♪ Be your man

♪ Stick to the promise and I'll ♪

[squeal echoes]

[applause echoes]

[squeal echoes]

Ray teaching you something new at night, huh?

[suspenseful music]

-[grunts] -Hey!

Hey, hey, hey!

Hey!

Principal's office, gentlemen.

If you two can't resolve this,

I'm gonna have to suspend you both.

Seren, out.

David, in-school suspension.

And that will live on your records.

I called him out.

Pardon?

I antagonized Seren.

You wanted him to hit you?

No ma'am.

What happened?

What did you say?

I called him,

I called him a white boy.

I called him a wanna-be nigger.

Is that true?

Seren, go and wait for me outside.

Don't go or speak to anyone.

Wow.

Why would you use that language?

Doctor Woods says you're

-one of her top-- -Woods-Trap.

Excuse me?

Do you know we can have you removed from this school.

You decided to fight during your only Gifted class,

the reason you're in a Magnet school.

I didn't hit him.

[Principal] You provoked.

I told him the truth.

You called him a racial slur.

I'm black, he wants to be, that ain't racist.

Dr. Woods-Trap says you are interested in Hurston Prep.

Is that right?

I asked you a question.

Yes, ma'am.

If they saw the word altercation on your school records,

whether you punched or provoked, if they saw it,

they wouldn't even look at your application.

Do you understand?

Yes, ma'am.

Now get your mom on the phone.

I can't.

[Principal] Why not?

The phone's off.

[Principal] She doesn't have a phone or even a cell?

How long?

Since the lights came back on.

You don't have lights?

They're back on now.

When, wait.

David, did you have breakfast this morning?

[students chatter]

[bell rings]

[pen scratches]

Seren, your parents.

I cannot believe you two.

Wait 'til your step-daddy hears about this.

David is, it's a Gifted class,

everyone else in the class does not look like him

and it's happened before where I have caught him

making comments about light-skin this, Rican that.

That's my point.

-Please. -It seems like.

In all of David's other classes,

the ones that aren't Gifted, he's surrounded by people

who look like him, but in my class it's different,

he's the only one.

Seren is black.

The only one who looks like him.

Surely you don't want me to diagram colorism

just now, Principal.

He looks around and it cues him that he's the only one

and he tries to excel, he tries to be the best,

and he tries to prove that he deserved to be there

and I think this time it just got the better of him.

I'd like him to see the counselor.

Okay.

Thank you.

You're not the mother.

He needs his mother to sign off for him to do that.

I didn't say...

Okay.

I have real concerns here.

He just told me they didn't have lights in the home

and the phone is out of service

and I'm not sure he's even eating.

I think we need to see if the student is acting out

because of home.

He told you this?

Uh-hum.

I'll talk to Dr. Green,

but I need his mother's signature

or it's in-school suspension.

[dramatic music]

[students chatter]

[yawns]

["Trouble" by Thunderbird Gerard playing]

[loud crash]

[Woman] Get your black ass on now.

[cat meows]

Man o'war!

Hold on boy, we can't speak?

A-Afternoon.

Vespers.

Woods-Trap taught y'all that?

What's vespers?

-It's blessed by the name. -Oh shit.

Come on Jay, let me know more.

Vespers comes from Latin vesperus.

All love meaning?

-Meaning. -Meaning?

Evening song.

Look, why you ain't let me finish?

You wasn't ready.

You come up in here letting that cat distract you.

Pussy will get you stuck.

[laughs]

What happened?

-I'm tired. -Weary look like.

How'd it go with the assignment?

I'm trying to go home.

Oh yeah?

This home?

Sky, you know what I meant, temporary.

Watch your words about the 'ville young sir.

This line, it ain't here to protect you.

It's to protect them from these projects.

[crowd chatters]

Sky.

Ready to walk past here?

I mean if you stay ready, you ain't got to get--

Ready, right, I get it.

How'd it go?

I didn't go.

What?

I told you to go first.

I know, look, I gotta go.

What happened at the schoolhouse?

You supposed to try to impress Dr. WT,

she could make you a prep school man.

-No. -No?

-No. -You know!

[Sky] Dai!

[crowd yells]

Let me go, let me go. Step back!

Aw, Dai, JG was just about to get loose on him.

Why you stop this shit, Dai?

This your brother, Shinobi?

Where yours at, you looking out for yours?

Watch you mouth, nigga.

Naw, naw, naw, don't tell him no.

Keep talking shit.

I should fuck your ass, nigger.

[David] What?

No, you heard me.

Ay, ay, ay, ay, ay, you did, my nigga,

but he can't understand what the fuck you saying, bro.

All right y'all, shows over y'all.

Disperse, get the hell on.

Say, Brother Dai, we got a situation here,

think you could help me?

We need a lookout for tonight, backs without eyes.

And we asked Willie Derrick here if he'd do it.

He's more than happy to, in fact,

little nigga decided to run his mouth

all over elementary that he was lookout

for the 'ville tonight.

Naw, naw, Raynan, that's not how it happened.

JG was the one snitching.

I oughta chop your ass again,

you putting my name of snitch, oh God.

I'm saying who told then?

I told your broke ass I told [mumbles],

running trap is in my blood.

And this nigger right here, he's my brother,

he was fixin' to be a boss, goes running with Sky.

You got a load of that fire man,

said you was about to be king of this, Dai.

No disrespect, Raynan, but my brother misspoke,

I was about nothin'.

Naw, since Willie Derrick here just got dusted

front the whole damn jacks, we gonna need somebody else

to be watch boy for us tonight, you understand?

-Man. -Go play.

You see what I'm dealing with, Dai?

We need somebody to take his place.

As you well know pay's pretty good for late hours work,

if JG wanna come through.

Naw, he busy.

Doin' what?

Bein' nine.

I hear ya', ay, ay, I hear ya'.

I'm only asking as a temporary thing,

while I'm settin' up shop, until we could find someone else.

I got you, I'll do it.

[laughs] The fuck you on?

You can't, not with faggot-ass Mr. Lodger watching y'all.

Nigger, what I said?

It's only for tonight though man.

JG not in this.

[dramatic music]

Well done, brother Dai, well done.

[dramatic music]

I asked you to go home, man, straight home.

Man, Willie Derrick was talking shit.

Jonathan, what if I was late?

What if you had busted his lip

or even the police had come around and caught you dustin'?

Then what?

Man, Raynan's got your back though.

Nigger, Raynan ain't with nobody man.

He may talk like he's running shit for Sky, but don't believe it JG.

Hey, you gotta learn to look people in their eyes when they talk.

Stop listening to their mouth and look in they eyes man.

Don't say nothin' about tonight.

Well, hey, hey.

Hey, Momma.

Hey, baby Jay.

Why you look like that?

He was dirt diving with Willie Derrick

when I walked up on him.

Wash up, JG.

Was he fightin'?

It was me fightin'.

What? Who?

Me and Seren, we got into it.

The principal said she called.

You lyin'?

No, ma'am.

-You lyin' to me. -I don't lie to you ma'am.

Hmm, you just don't tell me everything.

The principal's watching me.

Watching? What does that mean?

She say you gotta sign this.

[JG] Ma, I got soap in my eyes.

It's washing dirt that's why it hurt, baby,

just use the water.

This says you need to see the counselor.

David.

What she say?

Why you gotta see the counselor?

She's worried I'm not...

getting everything I need.

At home?

I'm clean.

Yes ma'am.

I don't lie to you.

I know that.

Things been better, right?

Why you home?

I got a shift switch, so I could come bring you some food

before the next. This for tonight,

this for after school tomorrow if I'm not here.

So, what? You not staying?

Take that money on the counter to Miss Elijah.

Please don't lose your mind.

You ain't the only one had a hard day, David

and you comin' in here telling me you fightin'.

You like me, oh God, you so like me.

But, you ain't grown enough to stop social services

from marching in here and dragging you and John,

if they, I got one more, before--

There are people looking to tell the office

we ain't doing right, remember the summer?

How they were coming to the house?

How the police wanted to talk to you, remember?

Yes ma'am.

I look 'round and I'm believin'

you tucking your brother in at night.

And you runnin' these streets with dope boys,

talkin' 'bout Sky watching over.

-'Cause he was! -David!

I wasn't here then and I'm,

I'm here now though, I'm here now.

If it was up to me we wouldn't even be here

it's not good for any of us.

Old people,

old places, old things.

That's right.

Not good for nothin'.

Y'all mine, all mine.

Gonna keep working these extra shifts at the truck stops

and then, we gone.

Maybe we move closer to that high school

you keep talking about, that Hurston.

I gotta goal,

and you gotta goal,

just hold on, okay?

Just hold on.

Take this money to Miss Elijah, please.

[dramatic music]

[Miss Elijah] Now, you know better.

Come!

Why you beating on the door that way, huh?

Hey, Miss Elijah.

Hey, David.

My mom asked me to bring you this for watching us.

I asked Gloria not to do that,

did you tell her?

She says she gotta give you something.

What's ailing you?

I'm good.

I seen good, you are not him.

Come out the doorway, dear.

Don't dwell, sir, it's rude.

Keep that.

What's the matter with you?

I'm getting the slip of paper to write the number down

I need you to play.

The last time I sent you to play the number you forgot

and had to come back.

Remember?

Yeah, I just moved 'cause I didn't wanna run into you.

Respect is simple.

Your mother sent me money to thank me for watching y'all,

just like you will watch the block

for your homies tonight, right?

Surprise.

["Wish U Would" by La Goony Chonga playing]

[girl] Oh, there go Tare's man.

I bet he got a big--

[woman] Is back talking nasty like that.

Jaya, go on away from here.

I'm not supposed to be seeing you.

And yet.

Okay, well I'm walking.

I can do that.

What happened at the schoolhouse?

I ain't used to have to ply this outta you.

Hey, I ain't gonna be walking all over the 'ville

chasing this story, Dai.

You know I ain't scared of loud talking, J.

I'll do it.

All right.

-Okay-- -[police siren chirps]

[wind roars]

[crickets chirp]

[man] Hey big guy, ten push the number.

Good?

Uh-huh, caught you slippin'.

You need to be more quiet slipping out of Jenna's window.

Yeah?

Why?

It's right under Elijah's, fool.

Aw, Miss Elijah keep all our secrets, watch us all.

Nothing to be ashamed of.

Got you something.

[laughs]

No, I'm good

and I'm too busy now to be hungry.

I'll keep reaching out, man.

What?

I keep reaching out, tryna connect with you, yo.

I mean we,

me and you been through a lot.

We're the almost alike, me and you.

I'm bad beat.

I'm an only child, you know that?

Far as I know I was his only, I get jealous.

I always wanted a little brother like you've got.

Somebody to have to keep safe.

Can't force it though.

Might not be for us, Dai.

Might have to find somebody else.

[cat meows]

Oh shit, did you see that?

Little buddy, he's a gangster,

stole your sausage, Dai.

That cat eat more than you and me.

I'm gonna see where he go.

Pussy will get you stuck.

I'll keep reaching out man.

I'll keep reaching out.

Get back to work, J.

[Woods-Trap] Where do you come from?

Where I'm from?

I'm from the 'ville.

I come from the hood,

the gutter.

[Woods-Trap] What is your story?

A couple people know how I work.

Oh, oh that's funny to you.

I know y'all see me as a clown, but,

but my grandfather?

My grandfather.

My granddaddy had to run out of Alabama

for smashing a white dude in the head with a bottle,

for spitting on him.

You see, he didn't play and...

neither...

neither do I.

Stupid.

I come from growers.

[thunder crashes]

["Doomed" by Moses Sumney playing]

I come from dirt.

I come from water.

I come from laughter.

I come from runners.

[gunshot]

[yelling]

[siren wails]

[yelling]

[man] All clear, they gone y'all, they gone.

[man 2] Yo, are we good?

[man 1] Who the fuck got our back?

[man 2] Who the fuck was on watch?

Damn.

[man humming]

It's me.

Come see.

"No longer throne of a goddess to whom we pray."

To A Moonby Robert Hayden.

I read that when I was your age.

I asked you to look that up for me.

You find it?

So, what you doing in there? Hiding out?

-I keep messing up. -Yeah?

Well, I would say they give you an eraser for that, but.

Raynan be all right.

No, he won't.

No, he won't.

Look, you're supposed to be focused on school.

-I am. -[Sky] Oh yeah?

How did that Dr. WT assignment go?

I had my speech prepared.

We didn't do it, then.

Seren got up first?

He's trying to impress you all the while.

-He was pissing me off. -Then what'd you do?

Hmm?

Got into it. I said--

What'd you say?

You still ain't ready to talk about it?

Look, I know you feel bad.

You saw red.

You thought somebody close to you

was trying to stand in your way.

That's the world.

Sometimes you gotta hit 'em with--

-I didn't hit him. -[Sky] There you go.

I made him hit me.

[Sky] That's better?

Good plan?

No, no, they got me seeing the school psychologist.

Well, play that shit.

Get her to see that you one of the good ones.

Get her to see that you're exceptional.

But, Seren.

Look, you ain't got time man.

You ain't got time to be nobody else's cheerleader.

Decide who team you on right now.

Go look at that Hurston booklet.

You see two black faces or one?

I know.

I was where you at.

I had to make a choice, you see how that turned out.

-You all right. -You're better.

You're better.

Make the hard choice.

You still thinking 'bout it, what you said to him,

you think you went too far?

First body's the hardest, Dai.

"Some I love...

who are dead were watchers of the moon.

It shines tonight

upon their graves."

Man, you found it.

Damn.

Say it to me again.

I always loved that piece.

"Some I love who are dead were watchers of the moon."

[water rushes]

Ma?

[sighs]

Be dressed when I get back.

Come on, JG, come on.

["Soda" by Azealia Banks playing]

[Sheryl] Yo, yo, yo.

[bell rings]

Sorry, Miss James, I'm late.

The bus didn't come today, I had to take the Metro.

DJ.

Yes ma'am I know, the bus stop is 1562 Radley Road.

Hold on.

He's arrived.

I'm sorry I'm late.

You forget something?

Ma'am?

Oh, the form, I promise I gave it to my mom.

Oh, you surprise me.

Ma'am?

I spoke with your mother this morning.

She called me.

She wanted to make sure you were telling her everything.

You could have easily not told her,

her phone not working.

You could have not, but you did.

That's integrity, David.

Integrity, it means something.

You understand?

Yes ma'am.

I'm not gonna action the in-school suspension,

but I want you to see Dr. Green.

He's gonna talk to you and get an understanding

of how you're doing here at Galvin.

Just a couple of sessions.

He's not in today, but next week, okay?

What about Seren?

Get your late pass, get to class.

[upbeat music]

Integrity!

Yo, SK!

You taking a deuce?

[dramatic music]

What?

You want something?

[thunder crashes]

[Sky] Got past me today.

I ain't get a chance to talk to you.

I ain't supposed to see you.

[Sky laughs]

Yeah, it's cool, little man, I'll go.

I ain't supposed to be seeing you at all,

you ain't here.

Kept talking about I gotta do what I gotta do

and make a choice now.

What do I do now, huh?

[Sky] No, you need

-to calm down, Dai. -I'm ready.

All right, Dai.

You need to go on and sit down.

Yo, fuck you, that dude is my friend.

He told me that shit 'cause he ain't had no one.

Just like I ain't go no...

He told me that shit about Ray 'cause he was scared.

Hey.

[Sky] That ain't your fucking problem.

-That's my boy! -You got your own shit

to deal with.

Ray laying his hands on him is my problem.

His step-daddy touching on him at night,

then beating him down, that is my fucking problem too.

You know?

You ain't supposed to abandon your boy.

And I did that.

I did that.

I got mad 'cause he was doing better than me

and whispered that shit to him.

Ray teaching you something new at night, huh?

I told him that shit like he wasn't nothing.

Saying that shit in front of the class

all like it wasn't nothing.

Knowing it was gonna hurt him, knowing it's fucked up.

And 'cause of you.

You in my head telling me to make a hard choice

and to choose now, but you ain't here.

Just a stupid ass, fucked up nobody that got run up on.

They shot your ass, remember?

You dead.

I know, look I gotta go.

Don't ever talk to me again.

I'm not supposed to be seeing you.

You dead, Sky.

"Some I love who are dead were watchers of the moon."

I can't even see you.

"It shines tonight upon their grave."

You dead!

They shot you, dead!

Remember?

Go!

Go!

Go!

[dramatic music]

[heavy breathing]

[squeal echoes]

First body's the hardest, Dai.

[dramatic music]