Blood Done Sign My Name (2010) - full transcript

[piano music playing]

[male voice sings]

♫ Last Sunday morning ♫

♫ The sunshine
Felt like rain ♫

♫ The week before,
They all seemed the same ♫

♫ With the help of God
And true friends ♫

♫ I come to realize ♫

♫ I still had
Two strong legs ♫

♫ And even wings to fly ♫

♫ Oh, I ain't wasting
Time no more ♫

♫ 'Cause time goes by like ♫



♫ Like hurricanes
And faster things ♫

(woman)
We heard it on the radio.
ln the songs, you could tell

that there was a movement--

(woman 2)
Because we were hearing
what was going on

all over
the country.

Yes, yes.

And it seemed like
it was real everywhere

but here.
What happened?

How did we get
left behind?

(man)
I lived in this part of
North Carolina all my life.

Back in 1 970, these fields
were flat-covered in tobacco.

Far as you could see.

lf tobacco was the blood
of eastern North Carolina,

then Oxford was its heart.



For 300 years, tobacco flowed
through those old warehouses.

And like blood,
it kept people alive--

black and white.

After having served
in Vietnam,

and having many
black soldiers
around me,

where it was
pretty much the norm,

I come back home
and only find a
few blacks

on the Highway Patrol
at the time,

it seemed
a little
strange to me.

But being
an old North Carolina boy

and raised down in New Bern,

um, I was surprised,
but at the same time,

my background told me
that I wasn't too surprised.

Martin Luther King
was never my favorite,

but I admired him.

I liked what he stood for.

But after Dickie Marrow
was killed,

nobody was having
that shit anymore.

We was about ready
to kick some ass
our own selves.

(little boy)
What is it?

(older boy)
Shh.

See? I told you
Grandma Jessie's rich.

Wow.

There's gotta be close to
$10 worth of Cokes
right here.

I'm gonna take one.

She won't miss it.

(man)
Vern, Tim,
come on outside

and say goodbye
to your grandmother.

(grandmother)
Vernon.

Saying our goodbyes,
Mother Jessie.

Vernon, before you go,

there's something serious
l've got to talk
to you about.

lf my boys
broke something, you
know I'm good for it.

Bye, Grandma.

So long, Grandma!

I n the car!
Okay, last one.

Well, I think
we're ready.

Martha, I asked Vidalia
to pack a basket of food
for the trip.

Would you go see
if it's ready?

Of course.

[door closes]

Anyway, Vernon,

I know you believe
you can talk your way
out of every predicament,

but Oxford
is not like Biscoe.

They're more
set in their ways.

Don't you worry,
Mother Jessie.

The Lord hasn't
let us down yet.

It's not the Lord
I'm worried about, Vernon.

Let's get this show
on the road, Tysons.

Load 'em up.

Oh, I'm gonna
miss you so much.

You be sure
and write me, you hear?

I will. I'm gonna
miss it here, too.

All right, sweetie. Bye.

Bye, Mother Jessie.

(both boys)
Bye, Grandma.

Vernon, you take
care now.

(Vern)
I don't want to leave.

(Tim)
Me, neither.

(Vernon)
Come on, everyone.
We're on an adventure.

[bell rings]

Good morning,
ladies and gentlemen.

I said good morning,
ladies and gentlemen.

(class)
Good morning.

Welcome to
third period English.

My name is Mr. Chavis.

And I'm your teacher.

lf you could, turn
with me to page 1 5
in your textbooks.

We'll be covering
Ralph Ellison.

Mr. Chavis.

Yes.

you really know
Stokely Carmichael
the Black Panther?

Yes. I know him.

When I was at U NCC, I had him
speak to a student assembly.

And they let
you do that?

Sure. I was head
of the Student Union.

And I thought it would be
a good idea if people heard
what he had to say.

What's a
Student Union?

What's a Student Union?

A Student Union is basically
an organization of students,

a place to meet,
discuss ideas,
affect change.

Any other questions
before we start?

Yeah. Why'd you ever want
to come back to Oxford?

Are you sure you priced
this flour right?

I can get it over at the A&P
for almost 50 cents less.

Then you just walk
another mile and a half
over there and buy it.

May I have a bag, please?

(Tim)
Why do we have a house
with furniture already in it?

(Martha)
Because the church
owns it, honey.

It's not ours.

Remember the one
where all the furniture
was covered in plastic?

(Vernon)
Hah. That was a long
time ago, little buck.

Oh, Vernon,
it's beautiful.

I just hope they haven't
completely redecorated
the place.

Just once, l'd like
to paint our home myself.

Okay, everyone,
best behavior.

Let's go, Tysons.

Reverend Tyson ! Hi.

You must be Martha.

Yes, hi.

I'm lsabel Taylor,
and on behalf

of the ladies
of First Methodist,

welcome to Oxford
and your new home.

We knew y'all would
be getting in late,

so we just
dropped off
a few things

so you'd have
something for supper.

Well, thank you.
Everything looks
so nice.

We painted
the whole house
and redid the drapes.

You shouldn't have.

Well, I don't
mean to be rude,

but I need to
excuse myself.

But you ladies,
you feel free to
stay and just visit

for as long
as you like.

See you Sunday.

(woman)
Sure you don't need
any help unpacking?

No, thanks,
I'm fine. Bye.

Oh, Lord, not again.

[sighs]

[knocking]

Come in.

(Roseanna)
Mrs. Tyson?

Yes?

Hi. My name is
Roseanna Allen.

I'm a friend of Vidalia,
who works for your mother.

She said you might be
needing some help.

Roseanna, you
are a godsend.

(woman)
Ben, is that you?

Yeah, it's me, Mom.

Oh, good.
Dinner's ready.

(mom)
And all you could see
were these little feet

running down the hall,
just bare bottomed,

and him chasing him.
It was so--

(woman)
You were
chasing my baby?

I was trying
to catch him.

I was trying to--
And you know, you would be
surprised how quick he is.

He was just
mad because they
broke the vase.

Do you know how long
we've had that, though?

I gave you
the money for--

Oh, come
on, that--

Quit crying
about the vase.

So did you see Mary
Catherine Chavis
at school?

Mm-hmm.

She still there?
She was tough.

I still don't understand
why you didn't take
that offer

to start on
your doctorate
right away.

You know, you
are always
better off

just getting into it
and getting it
over with.

I don't know. Those kids
at Mary Potter, they'll

drive Ben to graduate school
faster than a scholarship.

Well, actually,
I was thinking

about doing something
else with my time.

Really? What's that?

Reopening the
Ridley Drive-l n.

Opening up Granddaddy's
old place?

Why?

Well, I think
there's a need.

A need for whom?

I guess we'll
find out.

[male voice
sings pop song]

♫ Un-huh ♫

♫ I know a place ♫

♫ Ain't nobody crying ♫

♫ Ain't nobody worried ♫

♫ Ain't no smiling faces ♫

♫ Unh-unh ♫

♫ No no ♫

♫ Lying to the races ♫

♫ Help me ♫

♫ Come on, come on,
Somebody help me now ♫

♫ I'll take you there ♫

♫ Help me y'all ♫
♫ I'll take you there ♫

♫ Help me now ♫
♫ I'll take you there ♫

♫ Oh-ooh ♫

♫ I'll take you there ♫

♫ Oh, oh, mercy ♫

♫ I'll take you there ♫

♫ Oh, let me
Take you there ♫

♫ I'll take you there ♫
♫ Oh-oh ♫

♫ Let me take you there ♫
♫ I'll take you there ♫

♫ Play it Mary ♫

♫ Play your piano now
All right ♫

♫ Do it do it ♫

♫ Come on now,
Play on it, play on it ♫

♫ Big Daddy now ♫

♫ Daddy, Daddy, Daddy ♫

♫ Play your-- Mmm ♫

[chatter]

♫ Ooh, Lord ♫

♫ All right now ♫

♫ I'll take you there ♫
♫ Un-huh ♫

♫ Lying to the races
I'll take you there ♫

♫ Oh ♫
♫ I'll take you there ♫

♫ Ain't no smiling faces ♫
♫ I'll take you there ♫

♫ Up in here,
Lying to the races ♫

♫ I'll take you there ♫

♫ You gotta gotta
Gotta let me ♫

♫ I'll take you there ♫

♫ Take you,
Take you,
Oh my Lord ♫

♫ I'll take you there ♫

♫ Oh, I'll take you there ♫

[music fading]

(man 1)
How's it look?

(man 2)
That's good.

What do you think?

Yeah, man, good job.

My father loved
this place.

[chuckles gently]

This may be your Ph D.

[chuckles softly

(Vernon)
Good morning.

(congregation)
Morning.

For those of you just returned
from behind the I ron Curtain

or perhaps trekking
somewhere high in
the Himalayas

where phone
service, I'm told,
is not all that good--

my name is
Vernon Tyson,

your new pastor
here at Oxford
Methodist Church.

I want to
thank all of you

who welcomed
my wife Martha

and our four children,

Vern, Tim,

Boo, and Julie,
with such open arms

and made us feel
so welcome this week.

Now, let us pray.

Father,

we live in difficult times
that challenge our faith

in new and often
difficult circumstance.

Grant us the power
to choose right
from wrong,

and the strength
to love all people

of all races,
because in the
eyes of God,

we are all equal.

ln Your holy name
we pray. Amen.

(congregation)
Amen.

[knock on door]

Mrs. Alwin,
I'm Reverend Tyson.

I heard you
on the radio.

You have a
beautiful voice.

Well, thank you, ma'am.

'Course, I don't usually
trust preachers with
beautiful voices.

They tend to
think too highly
of themselves.

But then I
heard your sermon
about the Negroes,

and I changed my mind.

I thought this
is either a man

with a
total disregard
for his career,

or else he's one of the
bravest preachers
I ever heard.

Either way, he wasn't
all full of himself.

(Vernon)
Well, I'm not sure

my wife would completely
agree with you on that.

(chuckles)
She must be
a good woman.

She is.

Children?

Two boys,
two girls.

Good.

You know, Reverend,
l've been a member
of that church

for 87 years,
and l've seen

20, 22 pastors
stand in that pulpit,

some good, some
not so good.

But they all fell
into two groups.

They were either priests,
or they were prophets.

The priests told us
the comforting things
we wanted to hear.

The prophets
challenged us

with the
difficult things
we needed to hear.

Which one
are you?

I try to be
a little bit
of both.

Oh, Reverend,

in these times,
I think you're going
to find it very hard

to be both.

[cheerful indistinct chatter]

[soul music]

♫ [male voice
sings indistinct] ♫

Man, we need to put
up a basketball hoop
out back.

What for? Why don't
you just go to the
park and play?

[men laugh]

What's so funny?

They took down
all the rims.

What you mean, took down
the rims? What are you
talking about?

Rims, man. The town
took down the rims

to keep us out of
their neighborhood.

Oh, man, don't
look like that.

You know how stuff
changes here.

One step forward,
two steps back.

Name one black person
working a shop downtown.

Unless they
got a broom
in their hands.

They got one brother
on the police force.

He been
there four years

and still ain't allowed
to arrest any
white folks.

So what y'all gonna
do about that?

Shit. People been
pushing change
downtown for years.

Ain't nothing
gonna happen.

Yeah. I agree
with you, Eddie.

Ain't nothing
gonna happen--

unless you make
it happen.

(male voice)
No one's saying you
don't work hard, Robert.

Jesus. You work
like a slave.

It's just that some folks
downtown want to make sure

you got things under
control out here,
that's all.

Now you tell those folks
not to worry about
their investment.

Ain't nobody
gonna mess with
me out here.

I got friends who'll
guarantee me of that.

The change
machine's empty
in the laundromat.

Hello, Mr. Watkins.

Larry, how you
doing, son?

Fine, sir!

[cash register
bell rings]

Now you have
a good day.

Howdy.

What you need?

Driving by,
see the shop,

realize I'm due
for a haircut.

No.

No?

No what?

I need to make
an appointment?

No.

I don't cut
y'all's hair here.

All right, all right.

No problem.

I'll go to a fellow
in town I know.

Y'all have a good day.

You know what, Robert?

You've got
a good thing
going on out here.

lf you don't die
of a heart attack
trying to keep it up

and if you
keep that temper of
yours under control,

you might
just end up
a rich man.

Don't you worry
about me, Billy.

I'm gonna be fine.

(male voice)
Next order of business,
a request by Mike Taylor

for a new stop sign
down his way.

Neil, is
the application
in order?

Yes. We've
been out there
and checked it out.

Then I'm looking
for a motion to
move this thing along.

Motion.
Second.

All in favor?

(many)
Aye.

Opposed? Motion carried.

Next item.

Restoration of
the basketball
rims in city park.

Mr. Chavis, this
is your request?

It is, Your Honor.

Looks pretty
straightforward to me.

Um...

unfortunately, Mr. Chavis,
we are not

the jurisdictional body
you need to be addressing.

That would be the town
Recreational Committee,

which meets the first
Tuesday of every month.

I have, Your Honor.

I beg your pardon?

I have
submitted that request
to the Rec Committee,

but since it never holds
a quorum in its meetings,

it can't vote
on that request.

Well, better
luck next month.

Mr. Mayor,

the Rec Committee has
not held a quorum
since 1964,

which, not coincidentally,

was the year
of the Federal
Civil Rights Act.

But, that may be,

but there's nothing
that we can do
about that.

Actually, there is,
Your Honor.

Based on the town charter,

if a standing committee
is without a quorum

for a period of longer
than six months,

then it's possible
for this council--
to call for a vote.

Neil?

He is correct,
Your Honor.

But only if there is
a quorum present

at the time
the vote is called.

[clears throat]

Your Honor
and everybody,

I'm sorry, but I forgot
I need to leave
early tonight.

I'm afraid I have
to leave early as
well, Your Honor.

Well, that leaves us
without a quorum.

Adjourned.

How'd it go?

What was that
Frederick Douglass quote

your father was always
so fond of reciting?

Power concedes nothing...

Without a demand.

Yeah, well,
I demanded.

The power
just rolled
right over me.

Well, I don't think
Frederick Douglass

expected the
power to yield
on his first attempt.

[chuckles]

I guess he didn't.

Get some rest, son.

Night, Momma.

Pack of menthol
Rx, please.

What you trying
to pull, boy?

They're--for
my momma, sir.

Yeah?

Then she ought to know
that they're 35 cents.

Why'd you tell him
these were for
your momma?

For 35 cents, he'd
sell the baby Jesus
a pack of smokes.

He's got, like,
500 other--

(Jebbie)
That was awesome.

Sweet, man.

What the heck?

Hey, what're you
niggers doing in
our neighborhood?

What're you doing?

Y'all better get
your black asses
out of here

before we
come over there
and kick them out!

(several)
Run!

(Roseanna)
Hey!

You get home. Now.

[sigh]

Thank you, Roseanna.

He was gonna
kill me!

And why
would that be?

Well, because Jebbie
threw a rock at him.

I didn't throw it!

Well, it didn't look like
you did much to stop him.

You go clean up.

And get
them cigarettes
out your back pocket

before your momma
gets home.

Thanks, Roseanna.

Good night.

(Vernon)
See you tomorrow.

What're you
gonna do?

I'm taking you on
a trip, little buck.

(Daddy)
Whoo!

Come on! Let's go!

Come on, Daddy!

Are you
speaking to me?

Yeah!

Woo-hoo!

Daddy?

When are you
gonna talk to me?

I'm not, little buck.

I'm gonna
show you something.

What is it, Daddy?

It's a revival!

Tim.

Tim. It's
not a revival.

(man's voice)
The light of Jesus.

(several)
For our God.

The light of Jesus.

(several)
The light of Christ.

The light of Jesus.

Deliverance.

We are the chosen ones.

By the fire of
Calvary's cross

and the sentinel
and the bearer of
the light,

jointly give birth
to the star.

For our God.
For our God.

Let the
circles of light
become alive.

The light of Christ.

We mean to cleanse
and purify
our virtues

by burning out our
vices from the fire
of His word.

The light of Christ.

Honor,

truth, loyalty, purity.

For our God.
For our God.

[cheering]

I want to go, Daddy.

Shh.

(faint)
Please, Daddy.
I want to go home now.

Let the circle
truly become

a living representation
of our order

in the darkness
of the world.

When I saw the cross,
I thought everything
was good.

Evil can sometimes be
hard to recognize.

It hides in
normal things.

People you
think you know.

But recognizing evil
isn't the hardest part.

It's standing
up to it,

even when nobody
else will.

(Dr. Proctor)
So essentially, the
quality of our choices

determine the quality
of our lives.

Which, translated, means
you probably need to work
a little harder.

[whispering]
Thank you.

Dr. Proctor, my name is
Reverend Vernon Tyson.

Reverend Tyson.

Please.

I'm the pastor
at the Oxford
Methodist Church.

I heard you
preach last year

at the North Carolina
Council of Churches.

You gave a
magnificent speech.

Well, thank you,
Reverend Tyson.

But I'm assuming that
wasn't the only reason
you came to see me.

So he said yes.

And we'll get run out
of town together.
[chuckles]

You might be
right about that.

Well, I think
you're overreacting.

I'm just
saying there are
people in this town

who think that things
have moved awfully fast
in a very short time

and maybe
they should just--
slow down a bit.

Well, if anybody
bothered to ask the
blacks in this town,

they'd tell you if things
went any slower they'd
be going backward.

At the very least
don't you think you
should've consulted

with the Executive Committee
before inviting him to speak?

Dr. Samuel Proctor
is one of the leading
educators in America.

All the
more embarrassing
if you have to go back

and tell
him they won't
let him preach.

They? Who is they?

You know
full well
who's they.

They, who
put bread
on our table.

[sigh]

I know what I'm
doing, Martha.

Trust me.

Just promise you'll give
me 24 hours notice to
start packing.

Bless this food
to the nourishment
of our bodies.

[phone ringing]

May Your goodness
and mercy be upon us

and with those
less fortunate.

I n Your
holy name. Amen.

(others)
Amen.

No. I got it.

Reverend Tyson.

Oh, hello, John.

Yes, as a matter of fact,
we just sat down--

Yeah, sure, l'd
be happy to listen.

I see.

Un-huh.

Well, I'm sorry
you feel that way,

but I'm afraid
I can't do that.

No.

[phone ringing]

Reverend Tyson.

(male voice)
Is it true you invited

a nigger to preach
at our church?

Who is this?

'Cause if it's true,
you're gonna regret it.

Who is this?

[dial tone]

[sigh]

(kids, shouting)
Fight! Fight!

Stop it! Stop it!

Tim Tyson!

What are you doing?

He called Daddy
a nigger-lover.

Your daddy
doesn't need
you to defend him.

I wasn't defending
him, Momma.

I was trying
not to be wicked.

Wicked?

Daddy says
the wickedest
thing we can do

is to do nothing.

[sigh]
Oh, honey.

[ding]

Dorothy.

I came as soon
as I heard.

How's Joe?

He's gonna be okay.

Thank God.

Vernon...

he isn't
gonna want to see
you when he comes out.

(Martha)
Vernon? ls that you?

Vernon?

Dick called.

They scheduled
an executive committee
meeting tonight at 7:00.

What was I
thinking, Martha?

Did I really
believe I could change
everything by myself?

You're not changing
anything--by yourself.

I'm here.

Stand your ground.

Good evening, everyone.

Reverend Tyson.

Jack, Mr. Pink.

Vernon.

Dick.

I'm assuming we're
all here tonight

because of my invitation
to Dr. Samuel Proctor
to speak this Sunday.

Why would you
do this, Vernon?

I got people coming
into my store asking me

what kind of ship
we're running here.

Wanting to know did
we really invite

a Negro preacher
to stand in
our pulpit?

And what did you
tell them, Jack?

I told them
they heard wrong.

Ain't no Negro professor
speaking in our church
on Sunday.

Oh, Jack, why in the hell
would you say something
like that?

'Cause it's the
truth, Thad!

Vernon, nobody's saying
that it's perfect here,

but we've got good relations
with the Negro community.

This might not be time
to--to stir things up.

What time is
a good time, Dick?

A year from now?

What, five years
from now, Doug?

Does that sound about right?
Once your boys graduate
high school?

Ten years from now? Heck,
this is starting to sound
like work.

Why don't we just
leave it for the next
generation to fix?

lf this man
speaks on Sunday,

there will
be a breach

that will split
this congregation.

Is he worth tearing
this church apart over?

You, um, you can end
this with one
call, Vernon.

Just call him
and tell him
don't come.

We're living beneath
a dam, gentlemen,

a dam that's holding back
300 years of wrong.

Now, you can say that dam
ain't going to break

all you want,
but when the rains come

and that dam bursts open

and all that's bad
comes flooding out,

you won't have time
to run for high ground.

Now is the time.

That's why
I invited him.

And that's why I'm not
making that phone call.

Well, that's all
well and good, Vernon,

but this is
our church,

and you don't have
a right to do this.

Well, actually,
Jack, I do. And
you gave it to me.

This is the Methodist
Book of Discipline.

It defines the
rules that govern
our denomination.

And it says--

"the pastor
of this church
can determine the number

and the nature of services
held in the sanctuary."

And for the moment,
I am still the pastor
of this church.

Now, if you see
things differently,

you give Bishop
Grayson Tullis
a phone call

and you let him know.

Otherwise, I have a job
to do tomorrow, gentlemen.

And I hope to see
you all there.

[organ playing]

Reverend Tyson?

You never asked me what I
was going to speak about.

No, sir.

I didn't think
that was my place.

Thank you.

Shall we face
the lions?

[chuckles]

I come to you today

to talk about a problem
of enormous magnitude.

Something some of you would
probably rather not hear about.

But it is a subject
that affects us.

I am the president
of North Carolina A&T,

a black university
of approximately 4,000--

I'll be right back.

outstanding young men
and women.

Among our many fine
accomplishments

is our football program.

The other day,
my coach came in
to see me.

He told me
that the finest
running back

he had ever seen
is down at New Bern.

Now, this prospect's daddy
and his brother both went
to A&T.

But when my coach went
down to recruit him,

he say he ain't
coming to A&T.

Said he's going to school
over at Chapel Hill,

says he's going to play
for the Tarheels.

They got the big school
over there, big money,

the big stadium, and he's
going to play for them.

Then my poor coach
drove over to Kinston

to see about this 300-pound
offensive tackle they got

at the Negro
high school there.

A fine young man,
good grades,

but he say he ain't
coming to A&T, either.

That his mama wants him
to play for N .C. State

and wear the red and white
of the Wolfpack.

Well, when Coach finished,
he looked at me defeated,

and said, "I'm sorry,
but we're going to struggle

"next year
on the football field

and probably
for years to come."

l've never seen
a sadder man.

I walked over
and put an arm
around him and said,

"See, that's the problem
with all this integration,

Coach, that's just the price
we're going to have to pay."

[laughter]

Our lesson today comes
from the Book of John.

Willie Mae? You
listening to
the radio?

Willie Mae?

(little girl, happily)
Daddy!

[happy sob]

[loud music,
cheerful whooping]

[chatter]

[indistinct chatter]

What'd they feed you
over there, boy?
You're getting big.

Ah ! Cockroaches.
[laughs]

Take this off, handsome.

How are y'all all doing?

You're looking great,
looking great.

That Miss Mary Catherine?

How you doing, son?

Hey, Mr. Yancey.

Thank you
for coming tonight.
I really appreciate it.

You look great.
You look great.

Thank you, sir.

Still growing up like a weed,
but you look great.

Thank you.
See you guys
in a little bit.

See you.

How you doing, man?

Fanny. Hey, baby,
how you doing?

It's good to see you.

Good to see you.
I'll see you
in a little bit.

Hey, Roseanna.

Hey.

You look wonderful.

Auntie Roberta.

Wonderful.

Give me some
of that sugar.

Yes. Yes.

Dickie, we took care
of Willie Mae and the
girls for you.

Just like you
took care of me.

Yes.

Now it's your turn
to take care of them.

I will.
I promise.

Hey, darling.

Betsy, you didn't let him
touch none of this food,
did you?

Well, well, well.
What the cat
dragged in.

How's life at
the rubber plant?

It's good. They're starting
up a late shift next week,

but I ain't
too interested in that.

Well, good. You can
help me down at
the store

in all your
spare time.

[sigh]

Did you put that chain
on that boat trailer
like I told you?

Yeah.

Well, you better have.

You let something
like that slip

and you go back
and that boat
won't be there.

The chain's there. Boat'll
be there when we get back.

Like that time
you left the
bolt undone

on the back door and
they stole us blind
down at the shop.

That was
an accident.

Took care of that.

Yeah, when it
was too late.

You need to use
your head, son.

Yes, sir.

Betsy went to
the doctor today.

The baby's doing fine.
Everything looks okay.

Maybe once that baby
comes, y'all'll come
by more often.

You ready to
be a granddaddy?

Hmpf.

You ready to be
an uncle, boy?

I don't even like
being a brother.

[laughs]

Go on back upstairs
and start packing
your bags, then.

All right, you
see Mr. Fox here?

Mr. Fox needs some sleep, too,
just like you need some sleep.

All right? All right.
So get to bed.

I'll see you
in the morning.
All right?

[tired sigh]

Why don't you
go find Boo

and play
a couple hands
of bid whist.

I know you've been
wanting to catch up.

I'll be okay.

I'll be back
in a bit.

I'll be waiting.

Go on.

(Fanny)
Who's there?

It's Dickie, Fanny.
How you feeling?

Oh, I'm hanging
in there.

lf you're
looking for Boo,
he ain't here.

Think he's
at Four Corners.

lf you're
going over there,

will you get me
a ice-cold soda?

I sure am thirsty.

You got it.

And don't
go getting
in no trouble.

Bring my soda
right back here
to me.

Yes, ma'am.

Okay. I took out
the trash and broke
down those boxes.

Anything else?

Yeah. Go lock up
the barber shop.

How much longer
we gonna be here?

Well, till the old man
turns the lights out.

[whistles]
He closing up?

I'll bet you that's
the last time Roger
comes over for dinner.

Hey, Dickie.
Is that you?

Yes, ma'am,
Mrs. Downing.

Seen Boo?

No, man.

Nowhere.

All right.

Hey, girls.

Y'all looking
good tonight.

Is this where all
the action is?

I can't believe y'all
out here all by
y'allselves.

Hey, nigger!
Hey, you!

That's my wife
you're talking to.

Hey, man, listen, I
was just talking to
the sisters here.

Right.

Hey, man, it's cool.
Listen, listen.

I was just talking
to the sisters over here.

The hell you were.

Man, what're
you doing?

I'll show you
what I'm doing.

[grunts]

(wife)
Larry, no!

Hey!

Larry, no!

[grunts]

Stop it!
Larry, stop!

[wife]
Stop!

Damn!

You're crazy, man!

[wife]
He's got
a knife!

Hey, Dickie!
Dickie, run!

Hey, where's the fire?

[shotgun blasts echo]

[Boo shouts, moaning]

[panting]

I didn't do nothing!

Okay, okay, man.

You got me.

Let's just
forget about it.
You got me, man.

Okay?

[grunts]

[grunting,
fists pounding]

[grunts and pounding]

[grunts and thuds]

Better stop that
before you kill him!

You better get back
in your house, woman!

[grunts]

[continued kicking]

[heavy breathing]

[gunshot]

[dog barking in distance]

[train whistling in distance]

Go lock up the stores.

[sobbing wildly]
Oh, God.

Oh, God, Dickie.

Ba-bro, get us a car.
Go get us a car!

Honey, we got to find him.

Oh, dear. Okay,
you look over here.

(nurse)
Ma'am, stop.
You can't go in there.

Over here.

Dickie? Dickie,
it's Roberta.

I'm right
here, honey.

Ma'am, you'll
have to leave.

Oh, my God!

What have they
done to you?

They're going to have to
take him to Duke Hospital.

[ambulance siren wailing]

No. No!

I ain't going to no
damn police station.

They ain't gonna listen
to a word I got to say.

Boo, I'll take you down.

Ain't nobody gonna
mess with us.

Who's on the desk?

Let me speak with him.

Dale.

Yeah, this is
Billy Watkins.

I understand there was
a shooting tonight

at, um,
Mr. Teel's store
out at Four Corners.

Mm-hmm. Yeah.

He's with me.

I'll bring him in
a little later.

'Preciate it.

Do you still
have people
up in Berea?

Yeah.

Call 'em. Tell them
you're gonna
be staying

with 'em
for a while.

Well, what you
want me to do?

Go upstairs.

Get yourself
a pillowcase.

Fill it with all
the money you can
put your hands on.

You're gonna need it.

Excuse me, Sergeant.

This is
William Chavis.

He was
shot this evening
by Mr. Robert Teel.

Mr. Teel and his sons
killed Dickie Marrow.

It was witnessed
by Mr. Chavis

and he'd
like to report
that murder,

his own assault,
and swear out a warrant
for the Teels' arrest.

Have a seat.

Sorry.

[sigh]

All that time
he was in the service,

I prayed that nothing
would happen to him.

I prayed and prayed.

Somebody should've told me
I needed to be praying

he wouldn't get shot
in his own hometown.

Nothing I can do.

C'mon, Boo.
Let's go home.

John, I just heard.

What can I do?

It's too
late, Vernon.
Too late.

Go on home.

Oh, nice one.

So close.

Hey, where you been?

Home. Y'all hear?

Daddy, Roger, and them
shot them a nigger.

Why?

Said something
he shouldn't have
to Larry's wife Judy.

Tim Tyson.

Come in for supper.

What're we having?

I am not
announcing my menu
to the neighborhood.

Come in now.

[rumble of thunder]

Shh. It's only me.

Daddy.

Is everything
going to be okay?

Go to sleep,
little buck.

[indistinct shout]

Y'all, come on.

[shouting]

[shouting continues]

Let's go around back.

[siren approaches]

[shouting and noise fade]

(mayor)
Quiet, please.

This morning,
I dispatched a telegram
to the Governor's office

informing him
of the events
of last night,

as well as my intention
to declare the existence
of a state of emergency

and the imposing
of a curfew for
all citizens

from 7:30 in the evening
until 6 in the morning,
beginning tonight.

Further, I requested
from him the assistance
of State Troopers

to help enforce this curfew.

And most importantly,
to restore a safe, secure,

and law-abiding
environment for the
hearing tomorrow

and for the trial
in the months to come.

All citizens my ass!

Damn right.

That curfew
ain't nothing

but a No Niggers
After Nightfall Act.

(several)
That's right.

(teacher)
You can have...

whatever you can take.

(student)
Yeah.

That's right.

Yeah, Mr. Chavis.

But you can only keep--

what you can--

hold.

That's right.
We're gonna keep it!

Keep what, Darrel?

Beer? Cigarettes?
TV sets?

You think that's why
the State Troopers
are here?

Because you broke
some windows and
stole some groceries?

They're not.

You want to know
why they're here?

They're here
because last night,
when you hit those streets,

you took something
more valuable than you
could ever imagine.

Something our families have
been fighting for for years.

I'm talking about equality.

And they're not going to let
you keep it without a fight.

I ain't giving
it back.

Me, neither.

Good.

Mr. Chavis!

Mr. Chavis,
where you going?

What's going on?

Come on!

Please take a seat
quickly and quietly.

[gavel pounds]

[gavel pounds]
Proceed.

I saw three men
standing over Dickie.

Can you
identify those men?

Yes.

Two of them
are over there.

Robert Teel,
he had a shotgun,

and Larry Teel,
he had a rifle.

Where's the third man?

Your Honor, none
of the witnesses
were able

to positively
identify the third man.

[sigh]

[birds chirping]

[sigh]

Hey, Momma.

Hey.

I took my students
to the Teel hearing today.

I heard.

Quite a show.

Yeah, it was
a show, all right.

I just wanted them
to witness the legal
process, you know?

All they saw was
the same old Oxford.

Every rich businessman
in town sang that
killer's praises

like he was
the Lord Jesus himself.

I made a
phone call today.

I called
Ralph Abernathy.

He's sending
someone to help.

[female voice sings
spiritual type song]

♫ Mmm ♫

♫ Oh, freedom ♫

♫ Oh, freedom over me ♫

♫ Before I'll be a slave ♫

♫ I'll be buried
ln my grave ♫

♫ And go home
To my Lord and be free ♫

Good morning, gentlemen.

I thought I
was coming
to a funeral.

You fellows
look like you're
expecting an attack.

We're expecting a
fellow from out of
state to stir things up.

Stir things up?
What's his name?

His name's Frinks.

Golden Frinks?

He's coming here?

Hoo-hoo, hell
of a speaker.

That man can flat-out
ring the bells of heaven

when you get him going.

You ever heard him preach?

No. Can't say
that we have.

Hot as a pepper.

He was with
the late Dr. King

in Selma, Montgomery,
and Birmingham.

I heard he been
arrested over 50 times

for his civil
rights involvement.

And on top of
all of that,

he's a hell of
a sharp dresser.

You boys ever seen
a picture of him?

No, sir.

He always wears
a dashiki

with a big cross
'round his neck.

But stir things up?

Now, I don't
know how you can
stir up a funeral.

We can't
let you in,
Mr. Frinks.

I understand.
I understand completely.

I see them watches.

You boys
get them
in Vietnam?

Yes, sir.

Well, you know
Dickie Marrow
was a vet, too.

He served.

He was a soldier,
just like y'all.

And he deserves
a whole lot better
than all of this.

No, sir, Mr. Jones.

You're not too late.
Go right ahead.

(pastor)
...one of the closest
Scriptures in my heart,

and I say that--

[spectators]
Praise the Lord.

I n the name
of our Lord, the Almighty.

Amen.

(spectators)
Amen.

Amen.

Yes. Amen.

Pastor, could I
say a few words?

Thank you.

This young man--

was a husband,
he was a daddy.

He was a son, an uncle...

and a cousin.

For 30 years, l've been
attending the funerals
of soldiers.

Soldiers of the movement.

And l've had
enough of it.

(several)
Yes, sir.

Now, I know we're here
to bury Dickie Marrow today,

but when I look
in your faces,

I see there's
something else
that needs to be buried.

Discrimination.

(several)
Yes.

Segregation.

(several)
That's right.

(woman)
Amen. Yes.

Bigotry!

(several)
That's right!

And all the complicity

of pulling a people down.

(many)
Yeah!

(man)
That's right! Yes!

Now, to them downtown
who put that statue up,

this young man here

is just another
nigger dead.

(man)
Yeah.

But it ain't
gonna end that way

'cause what's
gonna end up
dead is Jim Crow!

Jim Crow's
gonna be dead.

(Boo)
Yes.

Now, I
know we ain't
got no permit.

We ain't got nothing.

But we are marching on.

(several)
That's right.
M m-hmm.

We're going to go march

to that Confederate
monument downtown,

and we're going to tell
that old soldier

it's time for him
to come down.

(many voices assent)

And that South
that he's guarding

for all those
years is dead.

And we will
tell him loud, like,

because he's a old man

and he has a hard time
hearing these kind
of things.

(man)
Preach it now,
preach it.

You don't represent us,
and you never did!

(woman)
Yes! Go ahead!

This here is
our South, too!

(man)
That's right.

We were born here...

grew up here...

work here...

raise our
children here...

Yes, Lord.

and we ain't gonna
be silent no more!

(many)
No more!

And then we're
going to tell him

that this
young man here,
Dickie Marrow,

didn't die for nothing.

Yes, sir.

He died for us.

(several)
Yes, he did.

And we're never
gonna forget it.

Never!
Yes!

♫ Ain't gonna let
Nobody know ♫

♫ Turn me around ♫

♫ Turn me around, I ain't
Gonna let nobody know ♫

♫ Turn me around,
We gotta keep
On walking ♫

♫ Keep on talking ♫

♫ Walking up
The freedom way ♫

♫ Don't you let nobody know ♫

♫ Turn it around,
Turn it around ♫

♫ Turn it around
And let segregation know ♫

♫ Turn you around,
We gotta keep
On walking ♫

♫ Keep on talking ♫

You're Elizabeth
Chavis' boy,
aren't you?

How you doing,
Mr. Frinks?
I'm Ben.

Call me Goldie.

Come on, everybody.
Unh. Ungawa.

(all)
Unh, unh, black power.

Say it again.

Unh. Ungawa.

Mean it.

Unh, unh, black power.

Unh. Ungawa.
Unh, unh, black power.

[repeating]

Vernon, I believe
your damn has burst.

Ungawa. Black power.

[soul music]

So what's your
plan, Goldie?

My plan?

Ben, look all
around you.

See these young people?

They are alive and energized

because they had a taste
of some of that
freedom wine.

[chuckling]
And they liked it.

Their spirits are
flying right now

with the possibilities

of all that
that wonderful drink
can bring them.

My plan, as you call it,

is to keep that
wine flowing.

And how are you
going to do that?

We. How are we gonna
keep it flowing?

We start off by
getting hold
of a mule.

A mule?

[female voice sings]

♫ Hold on, I'm coming ♫

♫ I'm on my way ♫

♫ Your lover ♫

♫ If you get cold, yeah,
I will be your cover ♫

♫ Don't have to worry ♫

♫ 'Cause I'm here ♫

♫ Don't need to suffer, baby ♫

♫ 'Cause I'm here ♫

♫ Just hold on ♫

♫ I'm coming ♫

♫ Hold on ♫

All right.

Come here, baby.
[laughs]

Here we go.
All right.

You okay?

Well, y'all
be good now.

(boy's voice)
All right, momma.

lf you get thirsty,
you go and help yourself,
all right?

All right?

Don't worry.
Ain't nothing
gonna happen.

Seventy people.

A man is murdered,
and we got 70 people
to march to Raleigh.

It's not
where you start.

It's where you end
that counts.

Let's go.

Come on.

That's what I'm
worrying about.

M ight not be anybody
left by the time we
get to Raleigh.

[no audible dialogue]

Get back on. Keep
on keeping on, sister.

All right.

How long they been
back there?

About a half hour.

They just been watching?

They ain't offered
me a ride yet.

[tires screeching]

Whoa, whoa, whoa.

(man)
Yee-ha!
[gunshots]

[women, children scream]
[gunshots]

[unintelligible shouting]
[shooting continues]

Come on, let's get
back on the road.

It's gonna
take a lot more
than that to stop us.

Is everybody okay?

You all right?

Check everybody out.
Check everybody out.
Help them out.

It's gonna take
a lot more than that.

Let's get back in line
and let's keep
on marching.

Come on.

It's all locked up.

Thought someone
was supposed
to be here.

Maybe they got the message
that it might not
be healthy.

Come on, come on.

You think
this is bad?
This ain't bad.

You'll know bad
when you see it.

What exactly
does bad look like?

Fellas, fellas.

Sorry we're late.

Better late than never.

All right then,
my brother.

Let's get in here, man.

Hey, guys,
bring some food.

Everybody's
probably hungry.

So I heard
the Klan had meetings
all around us last night.

Well, at least somebody
knows we're out here.

Come on.

All right. You okay?
All right.

Hi!

(little girl's voice)
Hi!

Hi!

Who's this?

I made some
calls down east.

Thought it
was time to prime
the pumps a little bit,

get our numbers right.

Hey, y'all.
Right on time.

Welcome, welcome.

Glad y'all here.

Welcome now.
Welcome.

I know, baby. I know
you don't want to get
back on that wagon.

But we just got
one more day, okay?

And then
we'll be all right.

I love you.

[female voice
sings slow song]

♫ Wandering road lead me ♫

♫ To finding my own ♫

I got
here as soon
as I could.

♫ Place that
Was meant
For me ♫

So glad you came.

♫ I'm not alone ♫

You okay?

Yeah.

♫ A darkness is parting ♫

♫ How far we've come ♫

♫ A new hope's arising ♫

♫ Leading us on ♫

[no audible dialogue]

♫ Wandering road behind me ♫

♫ Finding my stride ♫

♫ Struggle and pain, sorrow ♫

♫ Till arms open wide ♫

♫ The darkness has parted ♫

♫ No turning back ♫

♫ A new hope's arising ♫

♫ Leading us on ♫

[cheering continues]

Now this is what
I'm talking about.

[drumming]

[cheering continues]

Power.

This is a great day

in the history
of black people
in Raleigh.

[cheering,
drumming]

ln North Carolina.

(crowd)
Yeah!

Everywhere.

Right now,

Ben Chavis and Henry
Marrow's widow,
Willie Mae,

they're going to go have
a meeting with the Governor.

[crowd cheers]

Yeah!

This is a day for us
to come together
for justice.

(crowd)
Yeah!

[knocking]

Jesus rode
into Jerusalem

on the back
of a donkey.

Ain't nobody
in there.

Willie Mae and her two
beautiful daughters--

I thought you said
Mr. Frinks contacted
the Governor.

That's what he
said. That's
what he told me.

So many long, hot miles.

50 long, hot miles
to bring us right
here today.

(crowd)
Yes!

All those
people who walked

thought we
were talking
to the Governor.

My girls rode
all the way here.

For what?

What?

Please, just get
me out of here.

Come on.

Okay.

(Frinks)
We will not stop till
we have justice! No!

And because blood
done signed our names.

Come on!
[cheering]

The blood
of Martin Luther King.

Blood of Malcolm X.

(many)
Yes!

The blood of Medgar Evers.

The blood of Dickie Marrow

brought us here today.

Wait, they're back.
Let's hear what
they got to say.

Tell us what
the Governor said.

Ben Chavis is going to
tell us what Governor
Scott has said.

(man)
Brother, speak!

[clears throat]

Governor Scott has chosen
not to meet with us today.

(many)
What?

Come on, man.

Neither he nor the
Lieutenant Governor

nor any of their staff,
though they were told
we were coming,

chose to make
themselves available!

What the Governor
just told us by
his absence

is that to the
white power structure,

Dickie Marrow's just
another nigger dead!

(crowd)
No!

Well, Governor,
you mark this day
on your calendar.

Because the
day for begging
for black people

in North Carolina is over!

And you will never
forget this day again!

[cheering
and drumming]

[female voice
sings slow song]

♫ Let us praise
God together ♫

♫ On our knees ♫

♫ Let us praise
God together ♫

♫ On our knees ♫

♫ When I fall on my knees ♫

♫ With my face
To the rising sun ♫

♫ O Lord ♫

♫ Have mercy on me ♫

(Frinks)
So you see what we
accomplished today?

If we
stick together
and stand together,

there's nothing
we can't do.

See you on the bus.

You told Willie Mae
that we was going to meet
with the Governor

when you knew
he wouldn't see
us, didn't you?

I told her the truth.

I told her I
notified his office
that we were coming.

You let her and her
girls ride on top of
that fake coffin

for 50 miles,
knowing that meeting
wasn't gonna happen.

That don't bother you?

You think Dickie
Marrow's murder

is the worst
civil rights
lynching ever?

It doesn't even come close
to the things I've seen.

And you
think her pain
is any different

from the pain of
those other families?

Now, what's special
about his death is

that it gives us
an opportunity to
make things better.

Who do you
think I am?

I'm not Dr. King.

I'm not one
of his golden boys.

I'm a stoker, man.

You understand?

They send me
in to the towns
to keep things hot.

That's my job.

I'm just a stoker.

(anchorman over TV)
In Raleigh today,

groups of blacks
marched in protest

over the killing
of a Negro Oxford
man last week.

Governor Scott's refusal
to meet with black leaders

has reportedly angered
many of the marchers.

Local police in Oxford
continue to claim

that the situation there
is under control.

Shit, man,
put that damn
thing out.

Okay, now
we sync watches.

Sync on five,

four,

three,

two, one.

(driver)
We got a call.
Come on.

[siren wails]

Let's go.

[glass smashing]

(Eddie)
Go, go, go, go. Go!

Come on.

Hurry up. Hurry up!

Eddie, what
you doing, man?

Wait, wait, wait, wait.

Something's wrong.

Maybe it didn't catch.

Just give it a second.

Shit. It didn't catch.

Eddie!

Eddie.

[creaking]

I think it worked.

[distant siren wails]

Daddy?

It's big.

Daddy, is it
coming here?

(Vernon)
Oh, no, honey.

It's okay.

Ain't nothing
gonna happen
unless you make it.

I've presided over several
racially charged cases.

I harbor no prejudice
against Negroes.

I was raised
in a mainly black county.

I ate with them.
I played with them.

We had an
instinctive love
for the Negro race.

(crowd)
Black power!

My secretary is black.

That should show you
how I feel about them.

I have heard the arguments

that this community is
too turbulent
for a trial.

But I do not feel
they present

an adequate reason for
moving these proceedings.

[all talking at once]

Does it concern you
that only 9 of the
100 juror candidates

examined for this
trial were black?

No. Why would
that concern me?

Because Warren County,
from which the jury
pool is drawn,

is in fact
more than
2/3 black.

This is a fair
and impartial jury.

And it'll be a fair
and impartial trial.

Mr. Burgwyn, is the
prosecution ready?

Yes, we are,
Your Honor.

We call
Dr. Page Hudson
to the stand.

The deceased
had two serious
fractures of the skull,

one on the
top of his head,
the other on the back.

He also had bruises
and abrasions all
over his body,

both .41 0 and 12-gauge
shotgun wounds on the
backs of his legs,

as well as a .22-caliber
bullet wound in the center
of his forehead.

I'd been hanging
with the fellas

in the shed
at the old
fish market.

Suddenly I hear Dickie
and a white man arguing.

That's when I
saw Mr. Teel

come out the store
with a shotgun.

And what did you do?

I ran!

I mean, we all ran.

I heard about two
or three shots.

And, uh, then
I came back.

I saw Larry Teel

standing over Dickie
with a shotgun.

I--yelled at him.

"Stop before you
kill that boy."

Finally, I
heard the shot.

Who was
holding the rifle,
Mrs. Downing?

Who was
holding the gun

that fired
the final shot?

Him there.

Larry Teel.

I was on my way
to find everybody

when Willie and Jimmie
and them flew by me.

Then I heard
a shotgun blast.

And after
they beat him,
what happened?

There was
one more shot.

Sounded like
a cap pistol.

[gunshot]

No further questions,
Your Honor.

Boo, have
you ever been
in any trouble?

Legal trouble?

Yeah. But I
ain't on trial.

What kind
of trouble?

Stuff.

Receiving stolen goods,

breaking and entering?

That kind of stuff?

Yeah, but I ain't
killed nobody.

I'm sorry.
I didn't say
you did.

Did you serve time
for those crimes?

Yeah.

In fact, you're on
probation right now,

isn't that correct?

Yeah.

Mr. Chavis,
do you see the man

that fired the
shot that killed
Dickie Marrow?

Yes.

Will you get up
and go over and
touch him?

Yeah, sure.

Please.

Touch him.

Thank you.
That's all.

[general murmuring]

(judge)
Is the defense
ready, Mr. Watkins?

Yes, we are,
Your Honor.

What did
Dickie Marrow
say to you?

He said,
"Hey, white girl."

"Hey, white girl."

Huh.

Had you said
anything to him?

No, sir.

And then
what happened?

And then Larry told him,
"Don't be speaking to
her like that."

And then he
came at Larry
with a knife,

and I screamed
for help.

(Larry Teel)
He said, "Hey, white
girl. Hey, you bitch ."

I said, "Don't talk
to my wife like that."

And he said, uh,
"Come on, I'm a
soul brother."

Then he pulled
his knife on me.

After he went down,
what happened?

I hit him
with my fists,

took the knife
away from him,
then stood up.

The rifle that
shot him.

Were you holding
the rifle?

No, sir.

Did you see who
was holding it?

No. I was looking down
at him on the ground.

Did you recognize
the other men?

It was
happening so fast.

The boy attacked me.

And I ran
after him--

Larry--

did you recognize
the other men?

My father was there.

I recognized
his voice
when he said,

"I'm gonna call
an ambulance and
the police."

And what about
the other man?

I didn't know
who he was.

(anchorman over TV)
ln a surprise move
here Thursday, Larry Teel,

son of a
local barber,
Robert Teel,

took the witness stand
in Granville County
Superior Court

and denied that he shot
and killed a local
Negro man.

(Watkins)
Were you holding
the rifle?

(Larry)
No, sir.

(Watkins)
Did you see
who was holding it?

So tell me, Roger,
one more time,
what happened.

I heard Judy
call for help.

I ran after
my father.

When I got
to the other side
of the fish market,

I saw him and Larry
and joined them.

Did Larry Teel
at any time
that night

have a gun
in his hand?

No.

Then how could
that last shot
have been fired?

Roger?

I was holding it.

Someone bumped
my shoulder, and
the gun went off.

[weeping]

I didn't mean
to kill anybody.

It was
an accident.

No further questions,
Your Honor.

(attorney)
lf this was
an accident,

why did you let
your father and brother

stand trial for
first-degree murder?

'Cause my
lawyers told me
not to say nothing.

Do you mean to
tell this jury

that you let
them sit in jail

without the privilege
of bond for three months,

and didn't tell anybody
that you shot this man

or that it
was an accident?

Your father and your
brother were on trial
for their lives!

For their lives!

And you
have not set foot
in this courtroom

until today!

My attorney
told me not
to come.

That boy lay
on the ground

begging for his life,
helpless, Roger.

Did you kick him?

We was all
kicking him.

And did
you beat him

with the stock
of that rifle, Roger?

His skull
was fractured.

Did you hit
him with it?

I refuse to answer on
the grounds that it
may incriminate me.

Who told you
to say that?

Who told you to plead
the Fifth Amendment?

My lawyers.
Mr. Watkins.

And did they tell
you that all the
witnesses had testified

that Larry
was holding
the gun?

And that if you said
that you shot the rifle

and that it
was an accident,

that your father
and brother might not
have to go to prison?

I refuse
to answer
on the--

Your brother
shot that boy,
didn't he, Roger?!

And you and your daddy
helped kill him,
didn't you?

They let you stay home
with your wife and
your baby.

Now you're supposed
to help them

and say that
you shot him

because they know there
isn't a witness anywhere

that can testify
to that effect.

Nobody but your wife
and your attorney,

and neither one of them
can testify against you.

But I'm sure they
told you that, too,
didn't they, Roger?

No further questions.

[hubbub of voices]

(female voices)
Lieutenant Williams,

why wasn't
the third
man indicted?

There was a
third party mentioned

from time to time
during the investigation,

but none of my witnesses
were able to make

a positive identification
of a third person,

and they all saw the
defendant, Larry Teel,
fire the fatal shot.

[clears throat]

Three men beat
Dickie Marrow

while he helplessly
begged for his life,

more than a hundred feet
off of their property.

First they shot him
as he was running away,

and then, when he was
flat on his back,

they beat him,
and they kicked him.

And they stomped him

and hit him
in the head
with a shotgun butt

over and over.

Then they put
a bullet in
his head,

just like you or I
would kill a snake,

and they called it
self-defense.

Then, after the state
proved beyond any doubt

that this killing

was by no stretch
of the imagination

an act of self-defense,

they came up
with a new story.

An accident.

Or what
they might call--

accidental self-defense.

Of course, there is
no such category,
ladies and gentlemen,

and nothing remotely
like that happened.

This case is
one of the most
serious cases

ever to be tried
in this state.

And the outcome
will affect events
in this community,

the state of
North Carolina,

and across the nation.

We cannot tell the world

that we have one system
of justice for Negroes

and another for whites.

We must face the truth

and we must act upon it

or be damned
by our lies forever.

[baby crying]

(female voice)
Shh shh shh.

[baby gurgles quietly]

I--I hear that baby cry,

and I can't
help but think
about a little girl

going to have
to grow up now

without knowing
her father.

And I can't help
but hear that cry

as a cry from
Dickie Marrow,

saying, "Don't
let them kill me--

"and just tell the world
it was an accident.

Please!--Don't let
them do that to me."

And if you do,
ladies and gentlemen,

well, you may as
well hang a wreath

on the
courthouse door
on the way out,

because you
just as clearly
say to the world

that justice
is dead--in
Granville County.

[indistinct music
on jukebox]

[sigh]
What's your plan, Ben?

What's my plan?

M m-hmm.

You mean
for tomorrow?

The day
after tomorrow.

I haven't really
thought about
it. Why?

There's been a killing
down in Louisiana.

Young girl. They need
a stoker down there.

That's not what they
need here anymore.

After tomorrow...

they need a leader.

The jury's coming back!

[excited chatter]

(girl)
Hey!

[organ]

(judge)
Mr. Foreman,

has the jury reached
a unanimous verdict?

We have, Your Honor.

[organ]

[church bell tolling slowly]

Will the defendants
please rise?

We, the members
of the jury,

unanimously find the
defendant Larry Teel
not guilty--

[indistinct angry shouting]

[gavel
pounding continuously]

[shouting, pounding continues]

Let us pray.

Father, we have
been tempted

to love things
and use people.

When we have
been called

to love people

and use things.

We ask Your forgiveness

for our
complicity in
these sins

and in the evils
of our own time.

And pray Your healing

upon our hearts.

Amen.

[female voice
sings in choir]

♫ You've got
To know ♫

(choir)
♫ You've got
To know ♫

♫ Well ♫

♫ It may be hard ♫

♫ You may be poor ♫

♫ You may be rich ♫

♫ Now when we all ♫

♫ Get ready ♫

♫ You gotta move ♫

♫ You've got
To move ♫ ♫

[sigh]

Why?

Why?
Why?

[murmuring]

No, not--not--
not why did
this happen,

'cause we know
the answer to that.

Yes, that's right.

Why do we do
what we do?

Every day
in this town.

(man)
We know better.

[chattering]

Why do we watch movies
at white-owned theaters

where we still must
sit in the balconies

and enter and exit
through a side door?

Why do we spend our money
in stores where blacks

are only
welcomed as customers
and never as employees.

That's right.
That's right.

And why do we
put our money
into banks

that refuse
to hire blacks
except as janitors,

and are loathe to give
us loans for anything
except automobiles.

Why is there only
one African-American
on the police force

and none on the
fire department?

[indistinct],
grocery store workers--

Yet we make up 40%
of the population
of this county.

Why?

Why do we
do what we do

every day
in this town?

Fear?

Tradition?

No, that's not
good enough,
not anymore.

Power concedes
nothing without
a demand,

and we need to start
demanding some
things, people.

And I'm not talking about
sometime in the future,

it's a
change that needs
to happen right now.

Right now.

Until that change comes,

we need to take
our money elsewhere.

(woman)
He started
the change.

That took strength.

That took a
lot of strength.

The women held
it together.

Mostly, we shopped
out of town.

Went to Henderson.

Yes. Durham.

Durham.

It took a while.

About three months.

Yeah, about
three months.

It worked.

Because we
took dollars
away from here

and took them
somewhere else.

Exactly.

After the tobacco
warehouses was destroyed,

the tobacco market
moved on down
to Kinston.

And everybody felt it,

especially the white people.

(Vernon)
Dick? What you
doing out here?

Hey, Vernon.

Vernon.

Gray.

C'mon in.

Close the
door, please.

That's a right good-size
hole you're digging
there, brethren.

Yeah. We're digging
a hole big enough
so we can bury

every sorry sumbitch
in Oxford.

(man)
Well, that's the stupidest
damn thing l've ever heard of.

Who's going to be left
to cover us all up?

[laughs]
That's good.
That's real good.

(Vernon)
And they have sand
dunes in Wilmington.

White, white sand dunes.

Where it's the ocean
in the distance there.

And we're gonna run
over them sand dunes

and we're gonna
run in the water.

And we're gonna
just go crazy.
You in? You in?

You in? Yeah?

[sniffles]

[sigh]

[openly sobs]

Hey, $5 .00, please,
and can I borrow
that air gauge?

C'mon, pumpkin.

Thank you.

Daddy?

Did we get run
out of town?

Of course not.

We've been offered
a new church
in Wilmington.

It's a good church, too.

Some of the kids
at my school

said that you were
the reason that
everything happened.

They said their
parents are glad
that you're gone.

I imagine some of them'll
be crowing about now,
that's true.

But you know, the rooster
crows and the sun comes up

and that old rooster thinks
he done it all by himself.

But the Lord sees it
a little bit differently.

I did what I had
to do, little buck.

Let's go.

Everybody in the car.

We're on an adventure.

Thank you.

(male voice)
Did you ever hear
Golden Frinks?

Yeah, I heard
Golden Frinks
preach once.

Long time ago
at a funeral.

He flat
rang the bells
of heaven, too.

Who's Golden Frinks?

[soft music]

[female voice sings softly]

♫ Wandering road lead me ♫

♫ To finding my own ♫

♫ A place that was
Meant for me ♫

♫ I'm not alone ♫

♫ A darkness ♫

♫ ls parting ♫

♫ How far we've come ♫

♫ A new hope's arising ♫

♫ Leading us on ♫