Our America (2002) - full transcript

Let me go! Let me go!

Please! Please!

We're standing here live
in front of this building

where a five-year-old boy
was pushed to his death

from a 14th floor window

by two other boys,
age ten and 11...

Just when you thought
you'd seen it all

when it comes to juveniles
and crime here in Chicago,

a five-year-old boy,
Eric Morse...

...police are continuing
their investigation.

I see that the coroner
has just about finished his.



We'll have a word with him...

On Thursday, October 13, 1994,

Eric Morse was dropped out
of a 14th story window

by two other boys

'cause he wouldn't
steal candy for them.

It happened
in my backyard.

I can see the building
from my house.

People all over
pointed to Eric's death

as a symbol of everything
that's gone wrong

with a neighborhood
like ours.

But for kids growing up
in this neighborhood,

it was nothing new,

and we wasn't surprised

that the TV news
never told the story right.



How could they?

They don't know our hood
like we do.

That's why we became
reporters ourselves.

But don't think it was easy.

Hey, Duane...

you seen Lloyd?

He's supposed to meet me
a half hour ago.

Get out!

Get the hell out of here!

What's wrong with you?!
Get out!

I was only
making breakfast.

You damn near burned
down the house!

Found him
cooking up grease,

and he set
the kitchen
on fire.

What's wrong
with you, huh?

I was just making my breakfast
in my own house!

This ain't your goddamn house
no more!

Sophie, Sophie,
it's okay, all right?

No, it ain't
okay, Lloyd.

This is exactly why
we kicked out

his drunken ass
in the first place.

Come on.
Let's go, Stick.

Leave me alone, Boo.

That's right.
Get him the hell
out of here,

and make sure
that he never
comes back!

God! Get.

Come on, Boo, man.

It's time to go.

We're late.

Coming at you through
the lies and the hype.

Coming at you with the truth.

You're listening
to Graham Ellis,

the voice of the real Chicago.

We have a very special program
for you today, folks.

We're going to discuss an issue

that affects every man, woman
and child in the real Chicago.

When will black people
stop letting outsiders come in

and open businesses...

So, you sure
you don't want
my phone number?

Right.

I'm going to be
a big radio star.

Uh-huh.

Hey, I don't think
she bought your rap.

Ah, forget her.
She'll live
to regret it

when I'm the next
Graham Ellis.

Well, this is it.

It's on the fourth floor.

We go in there,
they just throw us out.

Man, it's all
white people.

It's white people looking
for two black kids to hire.

Now, come on.

How we even going
to get to these
radio people?

Fight our way in?

No, man.

We're going
to talk our way in.

We're here for
the radio auditions.

Yeah, that would
be on four.

National Public Radio
office.

Over there.

Okay.

See how easy
that was?

We ain't in yet.

:
You never give up,
do you, man?

Hi.

Hello. Is this the place
for the radio tryouts?

It was. They're over.

Oh, but we came
to try out.

I'm sorry, you guys.
You're too late.

See what you done, man?

Look, man,
this is not my fault.

Oh, who's always late?

Excuse me.

Is there a problem?

Uh, yeah.

These boys
came to audition,

and I explained
it was too late.

Are you in charge
of the radio tryouts?

No, no, no.

He's the...
he's the producer.

I'm LeAlan Jones, sir,
and this is Lloyd Newman.

We're the ones
you ought to be seeing.

They're not anywhere
on this list, Dave.

You're looking

for two young,
intelligent,

African Americans to be
on the radio, correct?

Yes, we are.

Then you're lucky
we got here on time.

You see, nobody can give you
a more insightful commentary

on life in
the inner city

than me and my partner
right here.

You just got to give us
a chance. Please.

Your show.

Yeah, you know, that's right.

Me and Lloyd
been working together

since the first grade.

Wow. Huh. Yeah, we sang
out in front of Comiskey Park

before the games.

You know, earn some change,
do some rap.

You know, whatever.

So you guys
are performers?

Uh, whatever
it takes, sir.

Is that what
you want to do?

Well, Lloyd
wants to rap,

but I want to have
one of those talk shows

where you discuss
the big issues
of the day.

Uh, except the guests
won't get to say much

'cause LeAlan will do
all the discussing.

You guys both live
in the Ida B. Wells?

Lloyd does.

I live with my
grandparents
a block away

in a house they've
lived in since 1937.

That long?

Yeah.

So, uh...

could you tell us
about this radio show

that you're making?

It's a documentary for
National Public Radio.

We're going to train
two teenagers

to use recording equipment

and have them spend a week
taping their lives--

walking around,
talking to each other,

interviewing
friends and family,

describing what they see
and how they feel.

Like a diary?

Exactly.

I like to think of it

as a sound portrait
of the ghetto.

Ghetto Life 101.

Right. Only from kids
who are living it--

not from some adult
from outside.

Like you.

Like me.

And we get paid?

$500 each.

:
$500 each?

I think you found
your reporters, sir.

Yeah.

Mind if I put you guys

through a little
audition first?

Just to be fair
to the other kids.

Whatever it takes.

Testing, one, two.

Okay, good.

Roll it, roll it, roll it.

Testing, testing.

Go.

I'm going to be
Graham Ellis.

More like Graham Cracker.

Just be yourselves, guys.

This is LeAlan Jones,
ace news reporter.

And Lloyd Newman,
man about town.

What man?

Let me describe Lloyd.

He's short...
he's a lightweight.

So I give him
about 75 pounds.

He's got a head

like a Martian.

It looks-looks... it looks like
an overinflated balloon.

In fact, his head takes up
about-about 65%

of his entire
natural body weight.

LeAlan is real funny-looking.

We call him Bucky Rogers

because of his
beaver teeth.

I mean, these things hang

all the way down
to his chin. Hey.

If something ever happens
to Woody Woodpecker,

they know LeAlan's address.

...back live
with continuing coverage of...

LeAlan!

Pick one show.

All right,
what's going on in here?

He won't settle
on one show.

He just keeps clicking
all over.

Well,

your brother's nervous.

Mm-hmm. He don't
need to be.

He ain't gettin'
no radio job.

What do you know about it?
All right now.

Janell,
you go give Moogie his bath.

I ain't nervous.

You know,
Ruth Andrews said

her boy Darryl
tried out.

You ever thought about
working with him?

I'm working with Lloyd.

LeAlan, Lloyd's
a good child,

but living like that,
with no adult supervision.

His mama died.

I know, and I
feel sorry for
all those children.

But you're a special person,
LeAlan.

I don't want Lloyd
dragging you down.

He's not dragging me down.

We're dragging
each other up.

I got it.

Hello?

This is Dave Isay.

Is this LeAlan?

I got it?

We love what you guys
did this afternoon.

Did Lloyd
get it, too?

You said
you're partners, right?

That's right.

Hold on a second.
We got it!

We got it.

Janell, guess what.

We got it. Ha!

Hello? Yeah.

So when do we start?

They're on their way up.

I hope I picked
the right kids.

Relax, David.

The tape
sounds great.

Oh, who knows
if they can even do this?

Am I crazy?

You know it's going to work.

How long you been
pitching this?

Since I got here.

Two years.

Yeah. You made it happen.

Because you're ready
to make it work.

It better.

I'll be back at
the network for
the rest of my life.

Your top-notch reporters
are here, sir.

Hey, Dave.
Hey, Gary.

This is my grandmother,
June Jones.

She wanted to
meet you two.

I'm David Isay.
Very nice to meet you.

This is my executive
producer, Gary Covino.

Pleasure.

I don't know why you think

people care what happens
at the Ida B. Wells.

I think they'll care

once they get to know
LeAlan and Lloyd.

Please, don't let them
make fools of themselves.

Thanks, Grandma.

And if LeAlan
gets out of line,

feel free to knock
some sense into him.

I'm sure I
won't have to.

I'm sure you will.

:
It was very nice to meet you.

I got it.

You do whatever
these gentlemen tell you to.

Yes, ma'am.

Bye, Grandma.

She's not as scary
as she seems.

Oh, yes, she is.

Hey, who's all this for?

Whoever wants it.

Hey, you know what?

I think I'm going to like
the radio business.

After you guys
grab some grub,

why don't you
come over here,

and I can start
showing you

how some of
this stuff works.

All right,
first things first.

One for you, one for you.

And we get beepers?

I got one, too.

My number's on the back.

You call me if anything
breaks down, anytime, all right?

Hey, beepers, man.

How cool is that?

Hey, this looks like
a bicycle handle.

Yeah, it helps
muffle the noise.

It's also got a good grip,
too, all right?

You know lots
of tricks, huh?

A few, right, Gar?

So, you got a name
for the show?

Good morning.

This is day one,
walking to school.

I'm leaving out the door.

This is my walk every day.

I live here,
and this is my home.

I'm taking y'all

on a little journey
through my life.

Yes, my life.

This used to be a ball field,

but the city stopped
taking care of it.

Now it's a battleground
between gangs.

There's shooting here
all the time,

and we got to cross it every day
to get to school.

Every morning I pick up Lloyd
on my way to school.

Man, this stuff
is heavy, right?

I know, right.

Dave's trying to kill us.

Walking in Ida B. Wells
housing development--

half the houses
are abandoned and boarded up.

The whole Ida B's
look like this.

Like a concentration camp.

All you have is steel,
dirt and iron,

concrete and mortar.

Drunks on the corner--

summertime, wintertime,
spring, fall--

drink in their hand.

Probably some white port...

Willy P., Jack Daniels.

There goes Lester.

Man, I thought
he's dead.

I guess he ain't dead.

Yo, Lester!

You boys rappin'?

Yeah, that's right.

We're rappin'.

Yo, Lester,
I thought you was dead.

I got shot, but I ain't dead.

I been locked up.

Yeah, so what you going
to do now you're out?

Back to bangin'?

Don't know about that.

Stay up, Lester.

A lot of kids our age
already joined gangs.

Can't always blame 'em.

Poverty, drugs, tragedy.

It gets to people.

And violence
is the worst thing

'cause once you're dead,

that's it.

Let me go! Let me go!

Please!

Leave him be!

Eric!

There's lots of ways
for kids to get in trouble here,

and you know it all
at a real young age.

When I was ten,
I knew where drugs came from.

I knew about sex.

I knew about
every different type of gun.

I was a kid in age,

but my mind had the reality
of a grownup

'cause I had seen these things
every day.

Living around here
is like being in Vietnam.

In Vietnam,
them people came back crazy.

We live in Vietnam,

so-so what you think
we're going to be

if we live in it,
and they just went and visited?

Living around here
is depressing.

Man, it's depressing.

Get anything?

Yeah.

Here you go.

Thank you.

You guys should get going.

You coming to
school with us?

I don't think so.

Your principal said
you could tape in school

as long as
it's not a disruption.

I don't think it'll help
if I'm there.

Like we're the only ones
in school causing a ruckus.

Our first stop of the day
is at school.

Sometimes we learn.

Most of the time, it's
too rowdy to learn.

Hey, hey, y'all doing
that radio show?

We're taping today.
That's right.

Hey, you want
to tape me singing?

You know I got
the best voice
in the school.

It's not a music show, Anita.

It's a documentary.

What's up,
James, man?

What's up, James?

Hey, let me get at that.

Hello, I'm David Duke,
host of this show,

Lifestyles
of the Nice and White.

We're just
gonna talk about

how much I hate niggers.

You want a good way
to kill a nigger?

You tie him to a tree,

and you pour hot tar
all over him.

Or...

you get a knife

and you cut all the
way up his throat.

Or you can just lynch that guy
real tight around the neck

until his head

just pops open.

That's my friend
J. Edgar Hoover's

favorite way to kill a nigger.

Remember,
you can never trust niggers

'cause niggers
aren't trustworthy.

I'm your host, David Duke,
and I'm signing off.

Give me my mic back man.

You're crazy.

Danita Charles?

Yeah.
Present.

Jamal Cox?

Not here!

Absent.

Janet Daly?

Yep, yep!
Present.

LeShawn Hunt?

Absent.

Raymond Smith?

That's my name.
Present.

Robert Washington?

Yo, why you bringing
that piece up in here?

Don't mess with my business.

I'll pop your ass first.

Hey, tell us why you feel
you got to be packing.

Damn thing out of my face.

And you.

Now, Mr. Isay,
when I agreed

to let these young men
tape here in school,

you promised me

that it would not be
a disruption.

We weren't disrupting,
Miss Williams.

It is hard enough for our
teachers to get any work done...

Miss Williams,

we're supposed
to be telling

the story of our
lives, right?

Well, school is a
really big part of it,

and we wanted to show that.

I know NPR's
reputation.

and I respect it, but frankly,

I have no idea

what you intend to do
with these tapes.

We're making a documentary
for the radio.

Well, we certainly don't need

any more stories
that smear our community.

I don't want to smear anyone,
Miss Williams.

I just want
to help Lloyd and LeAlan

tell people
what their lives are like.

Including the positive things?

Look, we're
going to tell

the truth, Miss Williams.

The bad

and the good.

I hope so.

Yo, we should go
back to my crib

and study history.

No, I got to find Stick.

He ain't been around
since that fight.

Man, you can't be flunking
another history test, dude.

Look, we'll study later,
all right?

Whatever.

You tape him yet?

No, he ain't in it.

But he's your father.

Look, I know he is.

He ain't in it.

Hey, been looking
all over for you.

Hey, Boo, this is A.C.

He's in town from Gary.

This here's my boy, Boo.

How you doing?

:
Are you trying
to hustle this guy?

I can take him, Boo.

Look at all the
money on the table.

I can take him.

Don't worry about it.
I got him.

Watch this.

You moved that damn ball.

I didn't move no ball!

Hey, look, it was
an accident, all right?

It wasn't
no goddamn accident!

Motherfucker!

I saw you move that ball!

Hey, look, just
keep the money, all right?

Damn right,
I'm keeping the money!

You cheating motherfucker.

All that for nothing.

Are you okay?

Want to go to
the hospital?

Don't need no hospital.

Why'd you tell him
to keep the money?

So he'd stop
beating on you.

Lindell says you gonna
be on the radio.

Yeah, me and LeAlan
got hired to be reporters.

They paying you?

Why?

If not, you wasting your time!

I'm not.

Think he gonna
make you a movie star?

Some foolish kid
from the projects?

You should be getting
a real job.

Look, I got school.

You should be making some money,
help your family out

instead of getting played
for a chump.

That's all right, Boo.

You know, we could
have took him.

I'll take him high...

And I'll take him low.

You take him low.

See, there you go.

We make a good team,
me and you.

This is LeAlan Jones,

talking to you
from our living room

which is also my bedroom.

My mother's name
is June Marie Jones,

but everyone
calls her Tootchie.

She lives here,
but she can't

take care of me and my sisters
on account of her mental illness

which is why
my grandmother
has custody of us.

How was it when you were sick?

I would hear voices
all the time and see things.

One time I started seeing
shadows on the porch at night,

and it looked
like Ronald Reagan.

And he was talking
with my grandmother,

and they was telling me
to get butt-naked, so I did.

But I'm on medication now,
and it's helping me a lot.

Who was my father?

Your father

was a fella named Toby Slipper.

He knows you exist.

He seen you
when you was about two.

I-I ain't seen him since.

What would you do
if you saw him?

Nothing.
He's just another man to me.

I got my grandparents,
you and my sisters.

That's all I really hold dear
to my heart.

That's... that's real sweet.

So if he was
supposedly

my daddy, why didn't you try
to keep him around?

I did.

I used to write him
love letters.

Do you feel bad about it?

I just feel it was God's will.

You know, it was already written
when I was born

what my life was going
to be like.

What do you think happened
to him?

He probably dead.

♪ I grew a ghetto life,
full of remorse ♪

♪ These hard streets own
a young man took his course ♪

♪ I've grown enough
to see 22 of these years ♪

♪ More than others,
less than a few ♪

♪ From these ill circumstances,
what can you do? ♪

♪ The cops shoot you, guys
on the street shoot you... ♪

This is Lloyd's house.

We're coming through
the back door

'cause we been friends
for a long time

so I got special privileges.

Yo, Duane, where's Boo?

He didn't meet us
for our breakfast meeting.

He ain't come out yet.

Yo, this is Dave
from the radio.

Hi.

You make sure
you get him shot at, man.

Let him see the real deal.

Whatever, Duane.

Let's go.

♪ ...can't give up ♪

♪ Our America,
life in the hood ♪

♪ Project living
ain't always good ♪

♪ Death and dying ♪

♪ Mothers is crying,
and shorties is dying ♪

♪ But we got to keep tryin'... ♪

What's up, Sophie?

How you doing,
LeAlan?

Doing good.

Everybody,
this is Dave.

Dave, this is Sophie,
Precious, Linda, Erica.

Hey, don't worry
about Duane.

He just got out.

He spent five years
for armed robbery,

but basically,
he's a cool person.

Don't live in
no barn here!

Duane's around Sophie
all the time.

He got hope, but Sophie,
she ain't letting him over.

Know your problem,
LeAlan?

Your mouth, man.

Nobody got

a bigger problem
than your mouth.

Hey, you know I'm right, man.

Sophie too tough

for a nice guy
like you.
Mm-hmm.

Take it
from a professional reporter.

Oh, you professional now?

Go try waking
your partner, man.

Report how that go.

Duane put word out

to the gangs
to leave me and Lloyd alone.

They listen 'cause they know him
from the streets.

He makes Sophie happy,

and it keeps me and Lloyd
out of a lot of trouble.

Now, this bathroom,

it's been broken for, like,
a month, you know, so...

toilet's all stopped up,
the water keeps on running,

and Housing won't do nothing
about it.

Wake up, man.

What you doing, man?

Wake up.

You ain't show up

for the breakfast.

Wassup?

Guess I overslept.

Come on, man.
We got taping to do.

I'll wait for you guys
outside, okay?

That's cool.

Whatever.

It just needs
to be handled.

Yes.

I don't care.
I said it's dead.

Hey, what's wrong with you, man?

You not showing up
to meet Dave.

You know what...?

Hey, what happened to you?

Man, I had to help
Stick get away

from a mark
he was hustling.

Help him how?

You beat him on the face
with your face?

Looks like you should have
helped yourself.

Come on. Let's go.

Wassup, Dave, ready?

Let's go.

Hey, Dave.

Hey, what happened
to your face, man?

Oh, that?
That's nothing.

It's a rash. You know,
he gets it sometimes. Let's go.

Lloyd, look, if this project
is a problem for you,

or you need somebody...

Ooh, you know, it's
no problem, Dave.

And you said yourself
this is a good job,

so why ruin it
now, you know?

And plus, Lloyd has
some great ideas:

you know, go
downtown Chicago;

talk to the mayor,
you know;

talk to Graham Ellis,
the guy on the radio...

Yeah, Dave, you see,
that's why LeAlan needs me.

You know,
to keep him in check,

or else
he'll never stop talking.

Do you think we should try
to talk to Graham Ellis?

Man, what's Graham
Ellis want with us?

He's from the hood, right?

So don't you think he'd want
to talk to some kids

from his old neighborhood
who'd want to be just like him?

Nah, see, you want
to be like him.

I want to be Snoop Dogg.

You got more chance
of being Deputy Dawg, man.

Hey, wassup, D.?

Wassup, man?

Heard you guys
was into rappin'.

No, we ain't rappin'.

We're doing
a radio documentary.

You know, the one
we auditioned for.

Oh, shit!

Lloyd.

Lloyd!

Lloyd!

Lloyd!

Lloyd!

Lloyd!

Lloyd!

Hey, old man,
I'm over here.

Hey, man, you all right?

Yeah, I'm cool.
How'd you get
in there?

I just hopped in, man.

Well, hop your
little ass out.

Yo, L, man, yo.

We coulda got popped
back there, yo.

Just standing there,
minding our own business.

We coulda got popped!

Nah, man,
that ain't nothing.

Man, that time on the field
was worse.

Yeah. Remember at
the packaging store?

Oh, right, man, yeah,

when that lady tried
shooting her husband?

Yo, man, I thought we
was dead that time, yo.

Hey, yo, man,

we should tape a game
of knockout.

What for?

Look, Dave wants a whole picture
of our lives, right?

Don't that include
what we do for fun?

Yeah.

We could do play-by-play

like the NBA Finals.

This is Lloyd Newman, live
from the Knockout Championships

of the south side of Chicago.

First up is Mr. LeAlan Jones.

Hi, Mom.

He stepped up to the railing,

rock in hand.

He looks
for his target,

waiting to call his shot.

White Blazer!

White Blazer!

He takes aim...

...and he misses.

Too bad.

Next stepping up,
Mr. Lloyd Newman--

two-time loser of the Lake Shore
Drive Invitational.

He sees one.

Red minivan.

Yeah, red minivan.

I got him.

Oh, damn, man.

It just bounced off.

Oh, shit!

Yo, man, he's stopping.

Yo, what he gonna do?

Get out and chase us
into the projects?

Oh, it's the
patrol car, man!

Hey, hold it!

Stopped on Lake Shore.
Get back...

I'm talking with my sister,
Sophie Newman.

Hi.

You been taking care of us all
since our mama died.

Tell us how she died.

Drinking.

Um...

one day our little sister,
Erica, came up and said

"Mama's on the floor."

We called the ambulance,

but there was a shooting
right outside our door here,

and... and the ambulance
drove off without her.

When we finally
got to the hospital,

it was too late.

I was selling newspapers
that day.

The man I worked for
called me in to the truck

and told me my mama was dead.

Then he asked
for the money I made

and told me to go home.

Sometimes y'all give us
a tough time, but...

I'm very proud of us

'cause I didn't think
we could make it without her.

Sometimes at night I cry,
thinking about my mother.

I stay under the covers
so my brothers won't know,

but I know I have
to get over it

because she's gone,
she's gone, she's gone.

And I can't do nothing about it.

Last night, I saw
the biggest roach in my life.

It was, like, this big.

It was walking up the wall.

I was going upstairs...

Yo, wassup?

Hey, Rashan, man, wassup?

Kicking it.
Heard y'all rappin' now.

Nah, we ain't rapping.

We doing a documentary
for the radio.

Nah, look, he's
playing you, man.

Of course we're rappin'.

Documentary?

I'm serious!

Come on,
back to the roach.

Anyway...

And I'm lucky
I didn't eat it,

because when I
looked in my cereal,

the roach had fallen

in the milk...
Ah, man!

Told you, don't be runnin'
no more drugs!

Fuck you, man!

Get back here!

Hey, Rashan,
who the shorty?

My goddamn little brother.

You sure that's enough food
for three people?

Oh, you eatin', too?

Stuff you guys
gave me yesterday

was great.

I feel a "but" coming on.

The knockout.

Ah, yeah.

Could be used
as evidence

if they want to charge you.

For what crime?
Nothing got broke.

I know, but...
Dave, you said

to tell the truth
about our lives--

the kids that got

no playgrounds.

We got no parks.

We got to make our own fun.

And besides, who cares
about them people?

They go home
to the suburbs.

They don't care
about what goes on over here,

so why should we care
about them?

I just don't want you guys

getting into trouble,
that's all.

That's part of our lives,
too, Dave.

When my older sister Janell
was 13,

she was an honors student.

Then she bugged out.

Had a child,
stopped going to school.

Now she's 17.

She won't admit it,
but she drinks too much.

Last week she almost died.

She had to be rushed
to the hospital.

Janell, how many friends
of yours got killed

through the years?

I can't count all of them.

It's been a lot, though.

Would you say 25?

Probably more than that.

Could you name a few?

Meatball, Cheesy and Vell.

There's been a lot, you know?

Yo, Elvin.

Where you been?

Ain't seen you in school.

Man, school ain't shit.

You ain't shit out here.

Dressed like a bum
selling dummy bags.

I'm bet I'm going
to see your ass
ten years from now

begging for a quarter
to get a drink.

I ain't going to be alive
in ten years.

Ain't nobody going
to be alive in ten years.

I'm going to be alive.
I know I am.

Whatever.

You believe
that fool Elvin?

Got to go
to school, man.

I'm going.

But you missed
too many days.

Plus you don't
study enough for tests.

Man, I get too
tired sometimes.

Yeah, staying up
all night playing cards.

You don't mind
when I spend my take

on buying you dinner.

Look, I know I got
to keep going.

Sometimes I get
in my own way.

Guess it's
father like son.

Now, look,
tomorrow's the last day.

I still got
my grandma to tape.

I done everyone.

You did?
So what happened
with Stick?

Man, I told you,
he ain't in it.

He's your father.
He's part of your life.

We been telling
the truth this long,

so why you going
to stop now?

Young man, your father's
right over here.

Uh, he's right here.

Hey, Boo.

What happened?

Somebody bust you around again?

Had a seizure.

Fell down on the floor
and banged my head.

You fixing to tape me?

Up to you.

It's your life story, right?

Guess your father
is a part of it.

I'm talking with my father,
Edward Simpson.

Everyone calls him "Stick."

'Cause of how good I shoot pool.

What are you best memories
of Mama?

Having fun

sitting by the lake.

Me and her, we'd put our feet
in the water together.

Wasn't drinking,
no drugs or nothing.

Your mama--
she loved me so very good.

She was
the most beautiful woman

I've ever met.

We were sober then.

But once we started
getting high,

the memories was gone.

They was gone.

Tell us why
you're drinking.

I don't understand
why I'm drinking.

So many situations I see
make me nervous,

but it ain't doing nothing
but destroying my body

and destroying my family.

Do you think
you're going to stop?

Yes, I am--
I'm going back to rehab,

take care of myself
so I can be with my children

'cause I still love them.

You think
you been a good father?

Yes, I have!

To the best of my capability.

Leave it alone, Boo.

I have no further questions.

My granddad Gus Jones
had a few strokes

and doesn't say much.

They raised eight kids
in this home.

Now my grandmother's raising me,
my two sisters and my cousin.

You've lived in
this neighborhood
over 40 years.

How's it changed?

For the worse.

When we first moved in,
there were no projects.

Just all homes.

We even had nice hotels
where different movie stars

would come and stay.

So when did you start seeing
a major change

in the neighborhood?

It happened gradually,
day by day, year by year.

The biggest thing was when
they built those high-rise homes

and stacked those people
one on top of the other.

My grandma says
she gets most
of her wisdom

from the Bible.

She loves gospel music.

The one she loves the most
is called

"One Day at a Time."

Will you sing it for us?

I don't have my voice.

Come on. You can still blow it.
Come on.

♪ Do you remember ♪

♪ When you walked among men? ♪

♪ Well, Jesus, You know
if you're looking below ♪

♪ It's worse now than then ♪

♪ They're pushing and shoving ♪

♪ They're crowding my mind ♪

♪ So for my sake,
please help me to take ♪

♪ One day at a time ♪

♪ Yesterday's gone,
sweet Jesus ♪

♪ And tomorrow
may never be mine ♪

♪ So for my sake,
please help me to take ♪

♪ One day at a time. ♪

All right, they're, uh,
they're holding that spot

the week
before Thanksgiving, so...

Is it done?

Well, let's hear it.

Good morning, this is day one.

Walking to school.
Leaving out the door.

This is my walk every day.

I live here,
and this is my home.

I'm taking y'all on a little
journey through my life.

Yes, my life.

In Vietnam,
some people came back crazy.

We live in Vietnam.

So-so what you think
we're going to be

if we live in it,
and they just went and visited?

Living around here
is depressing.

Man, it's depressing.

I was selling newspapers
that day.

The man I worked for
called me into the truck

and told me my mama was dead.

Then he asked
for the money I made

and told me to go home.

When I was ten, I knew
where drugs came from.

I knew about sex.

I knew about
every different type of gun.

I ain't going
to be alive in ten years.

Yeah! You heard that?

You know who that was?

That was me!

Who cares about them people?
They go home to the suburbs.

They don't care
about what goes on over here,

so-so why should we care
about them?

Peace out. I'm outta here.

Peace out.

Hey, June! June!

Oh, hey, Helen.

How you doing?

You hear what they're saying
about LeAlan on the radio?

I'm so proud of him.

Proud?

That he was exploited
by that white man?

Girl, what you talking about?

What they talking

about on the radio.

You believe these young men
were used

by these white producers.

I know these children,
Mr. Ellis.

They never would have come up

with some of the things
they said

or asked questions
the way they did.

Someone wanted to make sure
that they portrayed

the most negative stereotypes
of African American life.

Miss Williams?

Was there anything truthful
in that program?

Lloyd Newman's father
is an alcoholic,

and LeAlan Jones does have
a mother who is mentally ill,

which is my point.

Can children from these kinds
of homes be expected

to resist pressure
from a white adult

to say what
he wants them to say,

even when they know
it isn't true?

Why is she saying these things?

Let's take some calls.

Guess you heard the show.

They mocked my family.

They don't know what
they're talking about.

It's Miss Williams.
She does know.

June, I promise you,

I will not let LeAlan
get hurt.

I'm afraid you're too late.

It's the chumps.

Man, who you calling chumps?

Who let some white motherfuckers
play them for fools.

We ain't fools.

Radio say you is.

Yo, Elvin,
fuck off, man.

Man, these...

You hear me, man?

Whatever.

Motherfucker's just talking, yo.

Yeah, he ain't
the only one.

Who, them radio people?

They got their ass
out the projects.

Don't want nobody to know
how it is here

'cause it make 'em look bad.

They all just
talking, man.

Yeah, you doing something,
all right?

Be proud of it.

Look, we got
some great responses

from all across
the country.

Tons of letters.

People love the show.

In fact, NPR's going to nominate
you guys for some prizes.

They come with cash?

Some do.

Let's win those.

Look,

these attacks
aren't about what you did.

It's about what
other people want you to do.

You had the right
to tell your story, not theirs.

Not anyone's is what
it sounds like.

Don't believe that shit
for a minute.

You guys touched

a lot of people.

Then where are they now?

How come nobody's
sticking up for us?

They will. Don't worry.

I can't believe you're hanging
those kids out to dry.

We're not hanging anyone
out to dry, Gary.

Of course,
you are, Pax.

Two weeks ago
you put out a memo

saying that every reporter
at NPR could learn

from "Ghetto Life 101."

Now a few people squawk,

and-and you want to pretend
you've never heard of it.

Dave, I wish you had warned us

that the head of the school
district council was going

to go public
with these objections.

I didn't have any idea

she was any more
than a principal.

You spoke with her.

How were we supposed
to know she was going

to get all the way
to Graham Ellis?

And besides, we can't
back off because

a few people want
to circle the wagons

and pretend there's
not a problem in
the inner city.

Well, they speak
for their community.

They don't speak for me.

I grew up
on the South Side.

I know what it's like,

and there's nothing in this
documentary that isn't true.

That doesn't solve our problem,
Carla.

We don't have
a problem.

The response was
overwhelmingly positive

except for one radio show.

Graham Ellis is hardly
a storefront disc jockey.

Look, we have to respond

to show his listeners
we respect them.

And give these
attacks credibility

they don't deserve.

No. No way.

Pax, I'm not doing it.

You don't have to.

This is my show.

It's my responsibility.

I'll deal with it.

It's the worst kind
of irresponsible journalism.

It exploits people while
putting them at serious risk.

We never put anyone at risk.

Mr. Isay, you broadcast
those young men

engaging in criminal activity,
breaking car windshields.

They were just being honest
about their lives.

And LeAlan's sister talking
about all those murders?

You put her in danger
of being killed herself.

Look, as you both know,
everyone in that neighborhood

knows people
who have been murdered.

Yeah, but I don't believe they'd
talk about it openly in public.

Unless they're pressured
by self-serving outsiders

looking for
the most sensational story.

Th-That's ridiculous.

It never happened, all right?

LeAlan and Lloyd are smart

and courageous kids,
and frankly it insults them

to say they can't speak
for themselves.

Are you telling us
you never coached them?

I was helping them tell
the stories they wanted to tell.

No. The stories

you wanted to tell.

There are good things

that go on
in that neighborhood, Mr. Isay.

Kids who actually do well
in school.

Single parents
working two jobs.

Teachers and social workers
making a difference everyday.

But not one positive story
got into your program.

Well, what about June,
LeAlan's grandmother?

Isn't she a positive
influence on his life?

And Lloyd's sister Sophie
holding that family together?

What about

the amazing friendship
between LeAlan and Lloyd?

Yes, but is that enough?

No, it's not enough,
but that's all they have.

Yeah, but whose
fault is that?

Because every
time someone
does one of these

"tourist in the ghetto" reports,
it makes it easier

for people to
turn their backs,

because "those people"
can never be helped.

Well, "those people" are dying,
Mr. Isay, every day.

And shows like that
make it less likely

that any of us will survive.

So, do you think they're right?

We said our words...

not Dave's.

And we said
the truth.

Well, maybe,
what we thought we said

is not what people's hearing.

Man, that's bullshit.

Come on, man,
that's Graham Ellis.

He knows what
he's talking about

better than what we do.

But he don't know
what went on with us

and with Dave.

Well, maybe
they fooled with the tapes

when we weren't around.

So what are you
saying?

You think Dave used us?

You think Elvin is right?

We were chumps?

I don't know.

Looking for your
"tourist in the ghetto"?

That was a cheap shot.

What the kids did
is remarkable, Dave.

Yeah, but they're just kids.

Maybe they're right.

Maybe I pushed them into telling
stories I wanted to tell.

No, you didn't.

Well, you know that

but I don't think NPR's ever
going to give me another chance.

Of course they will.

You're too good at this.

And what you gave
those kids...

Graham Ellis is on the air

yelling about how someone's
got to help these people.

Well, no one helped
LeAlan and Lloyd

more than you, Dave.

No one.

I hope they think so.

Hey, what's up, Dave?

What's up?

Hey, what's the ball for?

You told me you lost
your good one, right?

Yo, this is a really good ball.

So this mean you ready
to hoop with us, huh?

Nah, I don't think so.

Come on, man.

If you want to chill
with us,

you got to learn how
to hoop.

No, I don't,
actually.

Hey, something up, man?

You know how
you're always asking me

if any of these

prizes that we win
come with, uh, cash?

Yeah.
Mm-hmm.

How does a thousand bucks each
sound?

$1,000? What? $1,000?
Yes.

Man, $1,000.

Your Chicagoans of the Year
comes with an award.

A thousand bucks?

You heard me;
a thousand bucks.

Man, do you know
what this means, man?

I can now get
that stereo rack

I've been wanting, man.

Don't you think
you should save it?

Oh, come on, man, all of it?

Most of it?

Some of it, all right?
That's all. Some of it.

Hey, try not to look
too excited, Le.

I just don't want to go back
to all that, that's all.

Oh, man, this shows

all those people
who trashed us.

It don't show them nothing.

If you're worried we're going
to get jumped on again,

that's not gonna happen,

okay?

He thinks so.

What do you mean?

Dave, he thinks you used us.

I never said that.

Man, you told me this
when it happened.

He thinks you took
what we said

and made it
come out negative.

You know, man,

you got
a really big mouth.

You know that, right?

You the one
always talking

about telling the truth.

Except when
it's on you,

you afraid to tell it?

I ain't afraid
of telling nothing.

So, is that what you
think I did, Le?

Use you?

There's Graham Ellis,
Miss Williams... they think so.

They know the hood
as good as we do.

So, don't I at least
have to think

about what they said first?

Miss Williams.

I didn't know
you'd be here.

I came to see you accept
your award, LeAlan.

And I want to see you
tell the truth

about what you did
and what was done to you.

I'm counting on it.

And you, too, Lloyd.

Hey, old man,
what she say now?

Nothing.

Hey, look,
she's wrong about Dave.

So is Graham Ellis.

I know he's a big hero
for you, man, but he's wrong.

Ladies and gentlemen,

our final Chicagoans
of the Year are two

remarkable young men
from the South Side of Chicago--

LeAlan Jones
and Lloyd Newman.

First, I would like

to say thank you
to my sister, Sophie Newman,

who's been raising me
since my mother passed.

Some people come from
the greatest homes in America

with mothers and fathers
who still

can't do
what my sister is doing.

So I'd like you to give her
a round of applause.

I'd also like to thank

my right-hand man,
LeAlan Jones.

And David Isay.

He believed in us...
and gave us this chance.

And thank you all
for appreciating what we did.

I also want to thank you all
for this honor

and for giving my family
this great meal.

I want to pay tribute
to my grandmother and my mother.

I didn't have a father
in my home, and they raised me

to be a strong black man
by themselves.

Now... some people claim

that the words we said
in our piece weren't true,

that Dave told us to say them

because we weren't smart enough
to understand our lives

or to talk about it.

In grammar school, they tell you
to speak your mind,

and I spoke my mind.

Whatever some people think,
the truth is...

we told our story
the way we wanted it to be told.

And that was because
of Dave Isay.

Not many people come
to our part of Chicago

to help the kids
that live there.

Dave came there, and he cared
about what was going on,

and he wasn't scared
of anything.

We owe him a lot.

Thanks, Dave.

Thank you all again
for this honor.

Let me go! Let me go!

Please! Let me go!

Leave him be!

Let me go!

Let me go!

Eric!

Just when you thought
you'd seen it all

when it comes to juveniles
and crime here in Chicago,

a five-year-old boy,
Eric Morse, was thrown from

a 14th floor window last night.

A five-year-old boy

was thrown
from a 14th floor window tonight

by two boys, aged ten and 11.

Police are continuing...

...where a five-year-old boy
was pushed

from a 14th floor window tonight

by two other boys,
aged ten and 11.

A short life, a tragic death
for five-year-old Eric Morse.

You crazy, man?

Them reporters rode in,
they made their speeches,

and they rode out again.

They don't even know
what happened.

You expect them to find out?

No. 'Cause they don't
care, but we do.

This is a
national story.

It happened in
our neighborhood.

Who's going to tell
it better than us?

Did you forget
what happened the last time?

Miss Williams,
Graham Ellis.

I-I don't even
care about them.

You did then.

You still did six months ago.

I was wrong.
You said so yourself.

So now you want to prove
we really did the first one?

No, man.

That-that's not it.

I'm tired of them trying
to make us out to be some...

some useless murdering
motherfuckers.

Man, ain't gonna change that.

We got to try.

Why else did
we do all this?

Why else did we learn
to be reporters

if we ain't
gonna report?

Dave won't do it, either.

We'll talk to him,

and if he's in,
then you're in, too.

Capice?

Are you crazy?!

Man, what'd
I tell you?

This is not just

you guys talking
into a mic.

You'd have
to bang down doors,

finds sources,
get people to talk.

We can do that.

What about school?

Huh?

You sure you need
the extra work?

This is something
that we both need, Dave.

Why?

To prove you did
the first one?

No.

It's not about that.

It's about that little baby.

It's about why things like this
always happen around here.

What's wrong with proving
we did the first one?

Are you crazy?

What did Beckett say
about failing?

"Try again.

"Fail again.

Fail better."

You didn't fail.

We all hate
the way it ended, Gar.

This gives us a chance
to do it right.

If we can get these guys
to give us another shot.

I want to know
why you want to do this.

I owe it to LeAlan and Lloyd.

Oh, come on!

You've stayed
closer to those kids

than any journalist
ever did to a subject.

What's it going to
do to you if they
don't make it?

They'll make it.

LeAlan probably will,

but Lloyd...

man, he is always
in trouble.

What if he doesn't?

I'm not gonna let that happen.

How are you gonna stop it?
For one thing,

I'm gonna get your ass to help
us make another documentary.

Yeah. All right, fine.

I'll talk to Pax later.

You're the man.

Yes, I am.

This is Lloyd Newman...

And LeAlan Jones,
back on the scene

at the Ida B. Wells
Housing Development.

Everybody in
the neighborhood

heard the story of how
Eric Morse was killed.

Two older boys,
Johnny and Tyrone,

tried to get Eric
to steal candy for them.

Eric told Tyrone's mother,
and he got in trouble.

He and Johnny
decided to seek revenge

on Eric and his brother.

We decided to check out
the scene of the crime.

Guess we walk.

:
Mm...

The elevator don't work.

Now the stairs are dark.

Reeks of urine
and vomit

and dog shit...

if it is dog.

Oh, man.

It's dark up there.

Hell, yeah.

Come on, Boo. Let's go.

Finally, some light.

Abandoned...

Abandoned... abandoned.

This is where it happened.

It's supposed to be locked.

They must have gotten in
the same way.

Not much here.

Damn!

Shorty fell from
all the way up here?

How could you just drop
someone from this high?

The apartments
that aren't empty

got their windows
and doors boarded up

'cause they get
broke anyway.

Housing takes
people's rent

but doesn't fix anything.

People living in darkness,
no matter what time of day.

Who is it?

I'm LeAlan Jones.

I'm with Lloyd Newman.

We're reporters.

We'd like to ask you

a few questions
about Eric Morse.

Oh, you kids get out of here.

Yo, man. People sure
are suspicious.

Hell, yeah.

Hi. We'd like
to talk to you

about the boy they threw

from the 14th floor,
Eric Morse.

I know nothing about
that poor little child.

Damn. Uh-oh. I'm out.

Yes.

Mm, can't catch

a break tonight, man.

You're just
a loser, man.
Fuck you, Duane.

I call.

What you got?

Straight-- to the nine.

Damn.

How come you always win?

'Cause I'm good.

Ah...

Straight to the nine.

I only got one dollar left.

What you just do?

Man, I'm dealing the cards.

What's it look like?

You took off the bottom.

Man, you lose,
so I got to be cheating.

I saw you take the card
off the bottom!

Elvin,
you crazy man?

Put that away.

This motherfucker cheating me!

Elvin, the kids are watching.

It's just
cards, man.

Put that away.

Put it away.

Had enough goddamn cards.

You crazy, man!

Elvin, man--
do you believe him?

Yo, were you cheating him?

Come on, man.

He never caught me.

Was you or not?

You fool,
you almost got us killed.

You know he ain't
shooting nobody.

Oh?

How much you win off him?

$56.

$56?

You almost got us killed
for $56?!

Relax, Sophie.

The kids.
$56!

You're a fool

just like father, and you'll
end up just like him, too.

Relax. Relax.

$56!

Man, what you looking at?

I'm sorry, it looks like
my partner got delayed.

Could we catch
you another time?

We really want to hear

what you know
about the killing.

Mm, okay.
Mm-hmm.

Thanks a lot.

He's getting worse, Dave.

He stays up all
night playing cards,

and then he doesn't
want to go to work.

I'll talk to him.

You always
talk to him.

He doesn't listen.

He's got no
adult supervision.

You sound like
your grandmother, Le.

Yeah.

Well, maybe she's
right, you know.

He blew the whole
thousand he won
for the award.

I figured that.

And now he's being
held back in school.

I didn't know that.

He's got too
many problems.

Maybe I should
be doing this by
myself, you know.

What are you
talking about?

You guys have been working
together since the first grade.

Isn't that
what you told me?

Yeah. But
things change.

Let me handle it.

Come on.

This is great,
Lindell.

Top grade in class.

You still brushing your teeth
like I showed you?

Two times a day.

Let me see.

All right.

What did I say? Five?

Ah...

Thank you.

Go get some goodies.

Why don't you share some
with the other kids, all right?

All right.

Hey, what's up, man?

Thirsty?

No, thanks.

Hey, where's LeAlan?

He said he'd meet us.

But he sent you here
to lecture me first.

He said you're being
held back in school.

Man, he talks
too much.

Look, it's been a tough year.

He said you never go.

It's just... it's hard waking up
in the morning sometimes.

You want me to wake you?

You going to come by
every morning

with coffee
and donuts?

I'll call you in the morning

when it's time
for you to get up.

You call me when
you're out of bed, all right?

Look, Dave,

I don't need you
to call me every morning.

I can get up on my own.

But you don't.
Maybe I ain't

what you want me to be.

What do I want you
to be, Lloyd?

Huh? Tell me.

No, better yet,

why don't you tell me
what you want to be.

What do you
want to be?

Look...

just level with me, Boo,

all right?

You want to stay in school
or not?

Of course I do.

Okay, then.

From now on, I'm going to wake
your ass up every morning.

All right?

1407.

This is right under
where it happened.

Who's that?

It's LeAlan Jones
and Lloyd Newman.

We're from
National Public Radio.

We're here to do a story

about the little boy
that was killed.

You the kids
did that show?

Yes, that's us.

We're here to do a story

about the little boy
who was dropped

from the 14-story window.

I-I don't want to
talk about that.

Please, ma'am. Please.

Look, we're trying
to tell the real story

of how that
poor boy died.

It would help us a lot
if you know anything.

I was right here
the night it happened.

I used to hear noises upstairs
all the time,

even though nobody
lives there.

Them two boys they
said did the killing,

they was upstairs all the time.

It's supposed to be locked up...

but kids can get into
any of these empty places.

Sometimes they'd
even sleep there.

Ten-year-old boys
out all night by themselves.

I'd report it to Housing,
but they wouldn't do nothing.

Tell us about
that night.

Me and my kids were sitting here
watching TV.

Help!

Let me go! Let me go!

Help!

It's strange.

I almost feel
like I was responsible.

If I'd have just
went upstairs

when I heard
the chair go back,

maybe I could have stopped it
from happening.

But I didn't.

Hey, Boo!

:
Glad to catch you.

Yeah, what's up?

Heard you were working
again on the radio.

Getting paid, too!

Some.

You know that money
should go through me.

I'm your father.

I gotta look after you!

I can look out
for myself.

Disrespectful,

paying a man's family
without telling him.

I'll tell him directly.

No, you won't.

You know that money
should go through me!

I could sue them!

I got rights!

You got no rights
to nothing, you hear me.

No rights
to nothing!

What's going on, Boo-Boo?

Nothing. Let's go.

Everything cool?

Yeah.

Boo!

Boo!

You need to eat
more red meats.

And fried foods.

You don't eat
enough fried foods.

So tell me how
the interviews are coming.

Man, it's
kind of tough.

You know, no one
wants to talk,

especially with the
trial coming up.

Yeah.

We need to go
to that trial.

Are you tripping?

How many kids we know

went into juvie court
and never came out?

We're not
on trial, man.

Plus, Dave here going
to make sure nothing happens.

Man, he don't have to,
'cause I ain't going.

You know, man,

I'm just
tired of you.

You don't want to
do nothing, do you?

Why don't you
just-just give it all up

and become a hustler?

That's probably what
you want to do, too.

I'm tired.

Hey, Dave, man, that's not true.

Look, I swear, it's not true.

All the way down
to your left.

How you doing?

We're with NPR.

Leave that here.

All right,
arms up, please.

Thank you.

Raise your arms
for me, please.

All right.

Raise your arms
for me, please.

Turn to your right.

Follow the deputy
down to Court 12.

We will show that the death
of Eric Morse was no accident.

Despite the age
of these two defendants,

this was a cold-blooded murder.

This was a tragedy,
Your Honor...

for the victim, of course...

for his brother, who had to
watch him fall to his death...

but also for
my clients.

These two children

have grown up in
unspeakable conditions,

surrounded by
horrifying violence.

To say this was
premeditated murder

is to completely misunderstand
the circumstances.

I once said that young
kids in the ghetto

have a state of mind
very similar to a
Vietnam veteran.

That's very true.

Even though soldiers
are trained to kill and fight,

what they saw affected them
psychologically.

We're seeing the same effects
in young inner-city kids,

and it's ridiculous to think

that the answer is
to put them in prison.

We never used to lock up kids
younger than 13,

but this new law means

we're treating
these ten-year-olds

like they're already
too old to be saved,

and that means they won't be.

Do you think
that society had
anything to do

with affecting the
actions of the young
men who did this?

I believe they should

take responsibility
for their actions.

They were
only ten and 11.

Old enough to know
that when you throw someone

out a 14th floor window,
he's going to die.

Don't you feel
that these children

were bred to a
life of violence?

There are plenty of kids
in that community

who don't choose to be killers.

Look what you two are doing.

But these defendants
have been picked up in the past

for possession of drugs,
once for possession of guns.

You tell me

what a normal ten-year-old kid
needs with a gun.

So you believe
that it will help
these young men

if they're thrown
in, um, juvie prison
until they're 21.

I believe
if they'd been locked up

after the drug incident
or after the gun incident,

Eric Morse would still be alive.

All they can think of
to do with a black kid
in trouble is lock him up.

Man, these are two
cold-hearted kids.

I'm not saying
they're not, man.

I'm just saying

what chance did they ever have
to be anything else?

We spoke
with the father of Tyrone,

one of the two boys accused
of the murder of Eric Morse.

He's serving
an eight-year sentence

for the aggravated battery
of Tyrone's mother.

Do you feel

your absence
from seeing your son

led to the alleged incident?

Yes.

Oh, yes, I do.

When a father and his child
are separated...

the child has a tendency
to take the wrong route in life.

Do think that
your son deserves

any blame for
what happened?

Sure, he does.

That baby is dead.

And Ty and Johnny were
both up there when it happened.

I just don't want him
to come out of this

with that ruthless
type of attitude.

I spoke to him two weeks ago...

and I said...

"Ty... no matter
what happens here...

"I love you...

and I'll always be there
for you."

A father has an obligation
to his child.

Dr. Doris Clay
was Johnny's teacher

when the crime was committed.

She's now the principal

at a new
alternative high school.

How did your class
react to the crime?

It was tough on everyone,

and we didn't receive
a crisis team

until the end
of the second week.

They stayed for 45 minutes.

The problem is
our children are smart.

They just don't think
they're smart...

so they're defeated
before they ever have a chance.

So, how are you two
doing in school?

Well, LeAlan's going
to be valedictorian
when he graduates.

:
Oh...

And what about you?

I'm doing okay.

Why you lying, man?

What's the problem?

Just...

sometimes I have trouble
getting my mind focused.

Well, that's why
we established
this school--

to give kids
smaller classes

and individual
attention.

Sounds like
what you need.

If you can transfer
out of your school,

we'll find a place
for you here.

Mr. Stanley?

Yes.

Hi, I'm David Isay.

I was told that the
guidance office
has to approve

the transfer of a student
to an alternative school.

That's right, but there are
no white students here.

He's not white. His name's
Lloyd Newman. He's a junior.

Lloyd Newman...

What is your relationship
to him?

I'm his friend.

You're that radio producer.

I'm trying to help Lloyd
get transferred,

if you don't mind.

Lloyd Newman.

Here he is.

I'm sorry.

He doesn't have the grades
to attend an alternative school.

Right, I-I'm
aware of that,

but I spoke to the principal
at Commons,

and she said she'd accept him.

It-It's not up to her.

Look, I know Miss Williams

had a problem with Lloyd's
documentary, but I...

This has nothing to do with it.

Whatever his extracurricular
activities might be,

he hasn't worked hard enough
in school.

He wants to turn it around.

He thinks he can
if he transfers.

It's not up to him, either.

Look, they want to help him.

He's already going to graduate
a year behind his class,

if he stays
in school at all.

Are you gonna sit around here

and play office politics
with his life?!

Huh?

Lloyd hasn't earned the right

to attend
an alternative school,

and no intervention
from some stranger

is going to make
a difference,

even if he is white.

He's an exceptional kid...

...and you're losing him.

Why do you care about him
so much?

Why do you care about him
so little?

Miss Williams, please.

The Board of Ed needs
his paperwork.

They're not going to hold
his spot forever, okay?

Mr. Stanley needs to
sign the form before
we can process them.

I know that.
You know that, okay?

But I just saw

Mr. Stanley, and he's not
gonna sign the form,

so what I was hoping
was that...

I don't understand.

All right,
you don't understand.

L-L-Let me make this clear.

I need you to tell me
who else

can sign these forms so that
Lloyd can get transferred.

The principal.

:
Principal.

Mr. Isay...

I heard you were
in the building.

Yeah, a lot of good
that's done me.

Why don't you let me
take care of this matter.

Take care of it how?

I'll get the transfer approved.

I know
you don't believe it,

but I do care
about these children.

I know we don't have
the resources here
that Lloyd needs,

and I'd like to see him
go someplace where they do.

Thanks.

No... thank you.

I didn't expect you
to stay so involved

with Lloyd and LeAlan.

I think I misjudged you.

Yeah, well...
I guess that makes two of us.

Good day.

You, too.

Difficult issues

are involved
in this sentencing.

You have both been found guilty
of first-degree murder.

I believe
that young children like you

have only
a rudimentary understanding

of what you've done,

but the new law is clear
and leaves me no choice

but to sentence you both
to Illinois juvenile prisons

until you've reached
the age...

No!

...of 21.

:
21.

Johnny...

Johnny!

Johnny! Johnny!

Well, this is where
the little dude landed.

It feels like we're
walking over a graveyard.

Well, shorty's soul
could be looking down at us.

Hey, Lloyd,
hey, LeAlan.

Hey, what's up, Kyra?

That your baby?

This is Deandre.

He's a month old.

Hey, little man,
wassup?

I hear you guys
are doing a piece

on that little boy
that got thrown out the window.

Yeah, that's right.

Maybe you want to interview me.

I knew one of the boys
that did it.

Johnny was always my baby.

I used to take care
of him for his mama.

I could always
talk to him,

even when he started doing
bad things--

running away all the time,
staying out nights.

What do you think
happened the night
Eric Morse was killed?

I believe
it was an awful mistake.

I have a little brother
and sister,

and sometimes
when I want to make sure

that they really hear
what I'm saying,

I start shouting, "I'm gonna
throw your butt out the window."

But you never
actually did it,

actually held them out.

Sometimes,
kids need a real scare...

keep them from worse things
on the street.

And you believe
that's what Johnny and Tyrone

were doing to Eric Morse.

I believe they were trying
to scare the baby,

so the next time,
he'd steal candy for them...

only they were too little
to hold on.

So you don't think
they meant to?

Throw a baby out the window?

Who's that cruel?

An adult would do something
like that,

not no children.

They need help,
they need therapy,

and they ain't gonna get that
in prison.

Let me go! Let me go!

Please! Let me go!

Please!

Little bitch!

Run, Derrick!

Let go of me!

Got him.

Tyrone, let me go!

Eric!

Let me go! Let me go!

Why'd you tell my mother?

You got to learn your lesson.

Little bastard tricked on us.

Stop kicking!

No! No! No! No!

Oh, no!

I wonder how he felt falling
from the 14th story?

What would go through
your mind?

I'd be thinking about
how it is in heaven.

But I wouldn't have
that much time to think.

Maybe four or five seconds.

I'd probably have time
to say a prayer or something.

Like "God forgive me
for my sins. Amen."

That's all you could have said.

Do you think
they got a playground

in heaven for these kids?

Man, they don't got
a playground in heaven

for nobody.

Maybe he's come back
as a little bird or something.

Maybe he's just dead.

So you guys think
it was an accident, huh?

I think they meant
to scare the child.

I don't think
they meant to kill him.

Yeah, but see, it was the way

they decided to scare him
that was wrong.

And whose fault was that?

You can't put
all the blame

on them shorties,
you know.

Kyra's right.

No one starts out like that.

You don't just wake up

and want to throw a baby
out a 14-story window.

I say it's only about
25% blame for the kids

and 25 for the parents,
25 for the building,

and 25 for the environment.

Yeah, and that's
a 100% failure.

This whole thing's wrong.

University of Chicago
is walking distance from here.

It has some of the-the greatest
Nobel Prize winners

in the last century,
but the kids around here,

they don't even know
it exists.

Most have never
been downtown.

They don't know that you don't
have to follow the footsteps.

Man, you think we're different?

Well, you both know
there's more to the world

than the Ida B. Wells.

But, Dave,

we're still here.

I mean, look,
what happened to Eric

could happen
to either one of us.

We could end up
in the same place

as Johnny and Tyrone.

So tell me,
why are we going to get out

when none of them did?

Because of what we done, Boo.

Dave here
gave us a chance.

The question is,
what we going to do with it?

I know... I know I'm going
to do something with it.

I'm not going to be, uh,
dealing drugs, playing cards,

end up shot,

or s-some bum alcoholic
on the street.

Hey, fuck you, man.

Stop talking about
my father like that.

I ain't even talking
about Stick, man.

I'm talking about you.

This is Lloyd Newman...

...and LeAlan Jones,
back on the scene

at the Ida B. Wells
Housing Development.

On Thursday,
October 13, 1994,

Eric Morse was dropped out
of a 14th story window

by two other boys

'cause he wouldn't
steal candy for them.

It happened
in my backyard.

I can see the building
from our house.

Not one negative phone call.

It gets better.

Guess who wants
LeAlan and Lloyd

to appear as guests
on his show?

You're kidding.

You did it again, man.

And nothing's going
to ruin it this time.

Ah, we did it.
We did it.

Yeah, I got some
change, so...
All right.

You know, if you
want to go...

What's wrong,
Sophie?
What's wrong, man?

Is it Stick?

It's Duane. He got shot.

Shit.

What... Duane?

Wait, he got shot. How?

:
It was a... it was a drive-by.

They just shot him.

He was just walking down
the road, and they shot him.

Okay, how is he?

Oh, God, why?

:
He's dead.

Oh, he's...

:
Oh...

You all done something.

Be proud of it.

Janelle Horner.

Sebastian Hutchinson.

Amena James.

Whoo!

Robert Jennings.

Mark Johnson.

Whoo!

LeAlan Jones.

Whoo! Whoo!

Lester Morgan.

Denitra Morton.

Adam Coulter.

Reggie Stevens.

Abel Tuckham.

You should
have graduated
with us, man.

Yeah, I know.

I don't like
to think about it.

But I'm going to make
it through school,

no matter how
long it takes me.

You got to.

Man, it's hard
to believe

you'll be in college
in the fall.

Yeah.

I guess this means
no more radio.

We're moving on
with our lives.

Yeah.

Can't expect Dave

to be waking me
up every morning

the rest of my life.

Just wish it wasn't
the end, though.

Ha! I got two.
Watch this one.

I'm the king.

I got more fears
than hopes right now.

I stay awake
thinking about all the things

that could happen to me.

But I got dreams.

Go to college.

Move my family away from here.

Be rich and famous.

Be a journalist.

And maybe own a hardware store.

You got to put your dreams
before your fears.

I live in the ghetto.

I'm supposed to be a loser.

I'm supposed to be
snatching a purse

and shooting your head off.

I'm the person
that doesn't vote.

I'm the motherfucker that's
supposed to fill your jails.

I'm not supposed to be
intelligent.

I'm not supposed to know
what I know...

but I do.

I got an uncle and a cousin
who are career criminals.

No father, a mother
who was pronounced mentally ill,

and a grandmother
who raised damn near 20 kids,

but I'm still making it.

I know you don't want to hear
about the pain and suffering

in "that part of the city,"

but that part of the city
is part of your city, too.

I believe in my heart

that we must find a way
to help one another--

not me by myself,
or you by yourself.

I'm talking about all of us,
living together

in our city, in our America.

♪ Like Vietnam sometimes ♪

♪ I grew a ghetto life,
full of remorse ♪

♪ These hard streets on
a young man took its course ♪

♪ I've grown enough
to see 22 of these years ♪

♪ More than others,
less than a few ♪

♪ From these real circumstances,
what can you do? ♪

♪ The cops shoot you,
guys in the street shoot you ♪

♪ Now tell me ♪

♪ How are we supposed to survive
these odds? ♪

♪ Bad educations
plus a lack of jobs ♪

♪ This is the state of nature ♪

♪ Where everyday living
is hard to eat ♪

♪ Kids rob,
dead dudes whose mothers sob ♪

♪ Daddies ain't here, they're
either dead or behind bars ♪

♪ Shorts got to have some
so they steal cars ♪

♪ Who wants to be recognized
as dope or hoop stars ♪

♪ These are the choices
that make us who we are ♪

♪ Where we don't live long,
so we don't reach far ♪

♪ Like Vietnam sometimes ♪

♪ Our America life in the hood ♪

♪ Project living
ain't always good ♪

♪ Death and dying, mothers
is crying, shorties is dying ♪

♪ But we got to keep trying ♪

♪ Our America,
life in the hood ♪

♪ Project living
ain't always good ♪

♪ Death and dying, mothers
is crying, shorties is dying ♪

♪ But we got to keep trying ♪

♪ Now our buildings is falling,
our streets is dirty ♪

♪ I got cabbies for $30,
they jails is filled ♪

♪ With my brothers,
cousins and sons ♪

♪ Clubs, lack of funds ♪

♪ Our America's filled
with crack, smack, and guns ♪

♪ Our kids can't read,
brothers is leaving HC ♪

♪ Our women got needs
that we ain't met ♪

♪ First-of-the-month checks,
I was raised that way ♪

♪ It ain't got to be this way ♪

♪ In our America,
we living day to day ♪

♪ To God I pray
the kids can play ♪

♪ Without a bullet
coming they way ♪

♪ Is it too much to ask? ♪

♪ How we going to last
if things don't change? ♪

♪ Mothers and they kids
is begging for change ♪

♪ Teenagers in shady chains,
streets is bloodstains ♪

♪ Fire from incinerators
feed the pain ♪

♪ Like Vietnam sometimes ♪

♪ Our America,
life in the hood ♪

♪ Project living
ain't always good ♪

♪ Death and dying, mothers
is crying, shorties is dying ♪

♪ But we got to keep trying ♪

♪ Our America,
life in the hood ♪

♪ Project living
ain't always good ♪

♪ Death and dying, mothers
is crying, shorties is dying ♪

♪ But we got to keep trying ♪

♪ So what's the course
of action? ♪

♪ We gonna plus or subtract? ♪

♪ They still will react
or we just gonna die? ♪

♪ When we gonna start living
and stop asking why? ♪

♪ Got to stop being bold
'cause poverty ain't shy ♪

♪ Living in this style ♪

♪ Situations'll produce tears
in your eyes ♪

♪ I love you, I can't deny ♪

♪ But we gotta stop letting life
just pass us by ♪

♪ There's more to it
than drinking and high ♪

♪ Hopefully gives
a slice of the car ♪

♪ Ambition can't be cut ♪

♪ But you can't expect
nothing but problems ♪

♪ When you sit on your butt ♪

♪ When you're stuck here
your link'll get cut ♪

♪ It's hard,
but we can't give up ♪

♪ Our America,
life in the hood... ♪