A Different World (1987–1993): Season 6, Episode 23 - College Kid - full transcript

Gina, Lena, Charmaine, Dorian, and Terrell rent an off-campus apartment from a grumpy older man who turns out to be a reclusive, former professional baseball star. He is inspired to consider attending college, particularly after s...

Malcolm X and Martin Luther King
had vastly different approaches

but ultimately the same goal:

Respect.

Of course,
aretha had the same goal.

That's funny.

Both men were committed

to the development of
their minds and self-respect

through the discipline of study

something I know all of you
share with these great leaders.

Self-examination is an important
part of self-respect

but not with...



"Hot coral reef."

Yeah. Coretta Scott king
wore the same shade.

Give me that.

On march 26, 1964, Malcolm X
and Martin Luther King

both attended the debate

of the U.S. senate
civil rights bill.

That was their
one and only meeting.

No one knows what was said.

They took that with them
to their graves.

That is serious.

Using quotes from both men

imagine what that conversation
might have been.

Choose a partner.

One of you will be Malcolm,
the other Dr. King.



Even the girls?

No, you can play Diana Ross.

And let me guess who you'll be.

Word.

X.

Word. Wrong.

You'll be Dr. King.

Why? I'm more in line,
philosophically speaking

with brother Malcolm.

Perhaps you'd be more in line
with brother Martin's philosophy

if he were the subject
of Mr. Lee's movie

and had his picture
on your t-shirt.

Well...

Well, well, nothing.

Diva Dean
Dorothy dandridge Davenport

has spoken!

£ ooh £

£ I know my parents loved me £

£ stand behind me
come what may £

£ come what may £

£ I realize that I'm ready £

£ I'm ready £

£ 'cause I finally
heard them say £

£ I heard them say £

£ it's a different world £

£ it's a different world £

£ from where you come from £

£ it's a different world £

£ oh, now,
here's our chance to make it £

£ here's our chance £

£ if we focus on our goal £

£ focus on our goal £

£ if you dish it,
we can take it £

£ we can take it £

£ just remember
that you've been told £

£ that it's a different world £

£ it's a different world £

£ oh, it's a different world £

£ it's a different world £

£ from where you come from £

£ it's a different world £

£ it's a different world £

£ from where you come from £

£ it's a different world £

£ from where you come from,
yeah. £

Hey, guys.

Good morning, ladies.

Oh, it's good now.

Looks like you all are having
a mighty good one too.

Kimberly and I were up
all night last night.

Okay, then. Okay, then.

Kim:
Studying, Gina.

Not that it's
any of your business, ladies.

We have an anatomy final
to be taking.

I know that's right.

And that's one anatomy
I wouldn't mind studying.

Mm-mmm. Well, leave some for me,
'cause you got a man.

Yeah, well, just because
you're on a diet

doesn't mean you can't
look at the menu.

All right.

You are being bullheaded
and ridiculous.

It's nobody else's business!

Look who's here finally.
Uh-huh.

You better run away.

You were supposed to help us

take boxes
to the homeless shelter

and I will go.

What happened to you?

Were you mud wrestling
or studying?

We were almost run down

coming back
from the public library.

Leave it alone.

It was wrong

and I do not intend
to leave it alone!

Can somebody please tell us

what you do or do not
want to leave alone?

We were walking down Dalton road

minding our own business,
like we always do

when four locals
with a combined I.Q. Of ten

flew by in an old pickup truck,
and started shouting

ungentlemanly things
about my butt.

Were they white?

No, it was a rainbow coalition
of jerks.

I shut them up, though.

I pegged them with a rock.

Stood up for her.

Then we ran.

How did you get so messed up?

They pulled a u-turn,
so we stepped off the road.

We rolled down a hill,
fell into a ditch

and hid inside a storm drain.

Where I come from, that is not
stepping off the road!

What am I supposed to do?

Wait, did you
talk to the police?

Why?

To file a report
so they can investigate.

Like I said, Dorian, why?

Because you'll never know
if you have a case.

That's right!

Fine.
Just leave me out of it.

What is wrong..?

He's so pigheaded!

Wait, were there
any eyewitnesses?

Yeah, me, Terrell,
and a bullfrog.

Another sticky bun,
please, Mr. Gaines.

Whit, another one? Damn!

Hey, you mind your beeswax,
skinny.

Now, whitley, now, no one has
ever eaten four sticky buns

at one sitting.

Your insides are liable
to stick together.

I'll have to take that risk,
Mr. Gaines.

I need the sugar to keep up

with those pint-sized,
hip-hoppin' trolls

I call my pupils.

Whoa, ain't school out
for the day?

It's supposed to be

but I'm overseeing
the little darlings

paint this mural entitled
"African-American heroes"

on the cafeteria wall.

Oh, well,
who have they painted so far?

We have sojourner truth,
Frederick douglass

and Halle Berry.

They all look exactly alike.

Wonderful. Wonderful.

Hey, Mrs. Wayne.

How you doing, Terrell?

I heard about
that awful incident.

I just cannot imagine you
and poor, little Charmaine

being run off the road like that

by four pickup trucks

full of rifle-wielding,
inbred hillbillies.

So awful!

Four trucks?

Who told you
about this dueling banjo story?

Now you know she is
a human fax machine.

She needs to get
her facts straight.

Don't even worry about it.

You can't put
a bottle cap on a volcano.

How is little Charmaine?

She's all right.

She's down filing
a police report.

Good. I've seen this thing
happen my whole life, unreported

and it's got to change.

No. No, what's got to change
is our approach.

From now on, I'm practicing
what brother Malcolm called

"vigorous action
in self-defense."

"Dr. King, any negro
who teaches other negroes

"to turn the other cheek
in the face of attack

"is disarming that negro

"of his god-given right

"of his moral right,
of his natural right

of his intelligent right
to defend himself."

"I believe that unarmed truth
and unconditional love

will have the final word
in reality."

"His dream is a nightmare.

He's too dumb to know it."

Who are you calling dumb, slob?

You're the one
who leave wet towels

all over the bathroom floor.

At least, I don't keep tabs

of how many paper clips
my roommate borrows

you cheap, little...

Now, ladies! Ladies!

I admire your passion,
but I don't understand

how we started in the hall
of the capital building

and ended up in the bathroom
at height hall.

I take offense to anyone

who calls
Martin Luther King dumb.

That happens to be a quote
Malcolm made about Martin

after the march on Washington.

Oh...

Well, I stand corrected.

All right, all right,
sit corrected.

Or you girls will be...

All:
On my list!

What really happened?

They rolled down the hill
about 50 feet

over mud and broken glass
and stuff.

Then you saw all these
nine millimeter shots...

Honey, it's a wonder
they're alive right now.

Mr. Walker, Mr. Heywood,
amaze me.

Here, Terrell.

This is the same kind of jacket
they wore in the '60s, man.

It smells like
it ain't been washed since.

I ain't wearing that.

I find it hard to believe

Dr. Martin Luther King
and brother Malcolm

would be in conflict
over their wardrobe.

Now put on the stinking jacket.

Class, you are dismissed.

We will continue next time.

Gentlemen, please remain.

Look, I'm sorry.

I didn't mean to make
a big deal out of the jacket.

The jacket is not the problem,
Dorian.

This is the problem.

And it better be good

at the very least, entertaining!

Uh, Dean...

Terrell was planning
to use that gun as a prop

like we was going
to use the jackets.

Yeah. That's... right.

I'm supposed to believe

that both of you lined up
these little surprises

for each other?

Believe that, yeah.

Well, I don't.

Come on, Dean.

The gun's not even loaded.

Why do you have this gun?

You got to watch your back

but you wouldn't
understand that.

What I understand...

Is that we have metal detectors
in our elementary schools

to prevent our children
from being shot.

What you don't understand,
Mr. Walker

is this gun
just got you expelled.

Expelled? What?

Damn, man. What's she..?

Terrell.

Man, what were you
thinking, man?

Look, man. You weren't the one
who had to run like a punk.

I want to be able
to stand up for a woman, man

even if it is Charmaine.

Why didn't you
just tell the Dean that?

What's that going to get me?

What will a gun get you?

Respect.

You don't get respect
for pointing guns at people.

Well, you don't get respect

by running away, either.

Damn.

Wow. That's it.

One more lab final,
and we're through.

Yes!

So... what are we going
to do with ourselves

until next semester?

Well, for starters, right

we'll go to negril...

Ah.

We can lay in the hot sun

play on the white, Sandy beaches

and swim in the beautiful
blue Caribbean.

Oh, that sounds incredible.

Then we'll go to Kingston

where I'll introduce you
to your future mother-in-law

who will fall madly
in love with you.

Don't I have a say in this?

Sure. You can say yes.

This is why you need me, woman.

Your stress level too high, mon.

You have to hang loose like me.

That's what makes us
the perfect balance.

Is that so?

Yes, mon.

I'm laid-back, cool-tempered,
and easygoing.

You're a type-a personality
with a strong work ethic

and an inability to say no.

Will you marry me?

No.

Scratch that theory.

Sure.

This is messed up.

Don't tell me you'll expel him?

The school's policy leaves it
up to my discretion.

Sign, then we can start
the expulsion process.

He's too good a student to lose.

He's too dangerous a student
to keep.

This is not like him.

I know Terrell.

He's a little rough
around the edges

but, basically, he's a good kid.

Excuse me. Excuse me.

Hey, Mr. Wayne.

Can we talk to you for a minute?

From what I hear
it will take longer
than a minute.

Dean Davenport!

We went to your office.

And you weren't there.

That could explain why I'm here.

We don't have to frisk
either of you, do we?

No.

Terrell?

No, man!

Terrell, what were you doing
with this gun?

I had it since junior high.

I grew up in bed-stuy too.

I never needed a gun.

Those are the old days.

Now everybody's
coming out the pocket.

Because not having one
makes you a punk?

Look, I didn't think
I'd need it here

but yesterday, I did.

What do you mean, yesterday?

Well, Dean,
Terrell and Charmaine

had a little problem...

We had to roll down
a ravine or be run over.

If I was packing
that never
would have happened.

Now you'll be packing your bags

and moving back to Brooklyn.

Aww, come on Dean, can't
you cut me some slack?

My mom will kick my butt.

School's the only thing
I have going for me.

School or this gun?

There's only one thing
people learn

bringing guns
into the classroom.

They learn how not to think.

My 13-year-old nephew

was accidentally
shot and killed.

He'll never experience
his manhood

because somebody out there
was too busy

trying to prove his.

I'm taking this gun
to campus security.

Terrell, you're too smart

to be this stupid.

Thank you, Dwayne.

Can you help me out?

You have to be smart enough

to help yourself, Terrell.

Last year, me and Ron

we got into some trouble
with some locals.

They wanted some static.

If I had a piece

I would have wasted all of them

even the nice ones.

Where would I be
if I had done that?

I cannot believe
that boy had a
gun in his dorm.

These days, it's easier
to get a gun

than a library card.

Yeah, but it takes two weeks

to get a library card.

Word to the mother.

Well...

I'd like to propose a toast.

All right.

Here's to Kimberly and me
being through with school

at least until next semester.

Congratulations,
you two doctors.

I have one more toast.

Ooh. Good.

Here is to the woman

whose smile is like
a light from the heavens

the woman I never want
to be without.

Kimberly Reese,
will you be my wife?

Spencer, would you stop it?

How many times
has he asked you today?

Oh, god, this is
the fourth time.

Say yes.
Go ahead. Do it.

Come on, girl.

Hello?

Who are you calling?

Yes. Mr. Reese?

Hi. Spencer boyer
here, sir.

Oh, I'm fine. Thank you, sir.

Well, as a matter of fact,
I'm wonderful.

Yes, I'm looking forward
to seeing you, too, sir.

Uh, no, sir.
I have not cut my hair.

Well, you see

the reason I'm calling,
Mr. Reese

is because I love
your daughter very much, sir

and I'm calling to ask you
for her hand in marriage.

I know that, sir.

Thank you.
I just wanted your blessings.

Thank you.

Good-bye, sir.

This is so romantic...

So absolutely, utterly romantic.

Spencer, we need to talk.

Hi, dad.

No, dad, no.

Geez.

Hi, mom.

No. Stop crying.

Oh, um, sorry, dad.

I thought you were mom.

No. Oh, come on.

I'm going to finish med school.

I have to leave.

I love you.
I'll call you later. Bye.

I feel like having
my dessert at home

don't you, baby?

Yeah, me too.

I'm not hungry. I...

Come on, baby.
Let's go.

We got to let
the people be alone.

Kimberly.
Call me, girl.

You are unreal.

No. That's the problem
right there.

I'm very real.

Kim, I was serious
the first time I asked you

and I'm serious now.

I love you.

Whoa, whoa.

Spencer, listen, um... I...

Really don't want to lose you

but, um, I'm going to have
to finish med school

before I can make
any kind of decision.

You understand that?

Yeah, I understand.

You do?

I understand you didn't say no.

Yeah, I said no.

You just made me
the happiest man in the world.

No. I said no.

My grandmother says that a no

is the first step to a yes.

And you're just as stubborn

as your grandmother.

Relentless.

"And so, three major components
of Dr. King's philosophy were...

Charmaine, speak before
someone gets hurt.

Dr. King's philosophy revolved
around justice, love, and hope...

A philosophy some people
consider to be outdated.

Personally, though,
I agree with Malcolm.

Dr. King was promoted
and chosen

by white liberals.

And you're entitled
to your opinion

but you're talking about the man

who led
the Montgomery bus boycott.

And the march on Selma.

You're talking about a man
who spent most of his time

in more jail cells
than his critics.

I wouldn't judge anyone

without looking at the sum total

of their life, Lena.

Well, you better hope
nobody looks

at the sum total of yours, Gina.

The potential beauty
of human life

is constantly made ugly

by man's ever-recurring
song of retaliation.

Excuse me?

Oh, just quoting Dr. King,
diva Dean.

Mr. Walker.

I assumed you wouldn't
be joining us today.

I know you're still thinking
about expelling me

and I probably
shouldn't be here.

I thought I could finish
my assignment.

I owe it to my partner.

All right, Terrell.

Get to it before
I change my mind.

Brother Malcolm, here we are.

Yes, here we are, Dr. King.

You know

I never thought
this day would come.

The passing
of the civil rights bill.

We have come so very far.

You and I were born

at this turning point in history

and we are witnessing
the fulfilling of prophecy.

We are both free and destined

and freedom is never voluntarily
given by the oppressor.

It must be demanded
by the oppressed.

I am for freedom...

For a society

in which our people
are recognized and respected

as human beings

and I believe we have the right

to resort to any means necessary

to bring that about.

My brother...

Through violence,
you may murder a hater

but you can't murder hate.

Darkness cannot
put out darkness.

Only light can do that.

Now, I believe

in arming myself

but with knowledge,
education, and enlightenment.

We may differ in method

but that does not mean
we differ in objective.

True, and if a man hasn't
discovered something

he will die for

he isn't fit to live.

If I can die

having brought any light

having exposed
any meaningful truth

that will help destroy
the racist cancer

that is malignant
in the body of america

then all credit is due to Allah.

Only the mistakes are mine.

My brother...

God does not judge us
by the separate incidents

of the separate mistakes
that we make

but by the total bent
of our lives.

As-salaam alaikum,
brother Martin.

God bless you, too,
brother Malcolm.

Now, watch out.

You talked to me.

Now you're going
to get investigated.

Very good work, gentlemen.

Very good work.

Class, we will continue
next time.

You are dismissed.

Thank you very much.

Dorian.

Yes.

Oh. Oh.

Impressive, but
Malcolm and Martin

have not completely
bailed you out, Terrell.

Thanks, Dean.

Don't thank me.

This won't be easy.

As of right now

you are under a curfew.

Ah, that's cool.

You must maintain a g.P.A.
Of a- or better.

Ain't no problem.

And you will be volunteering
20 hours a week

at the thurgood Marshall
rec center.

All right.
All right. Cool.

See, I have a dream...

To stay in school...

By any means necessary.

Very nice touch, dear.

Dean, you made
the right decision

by keeping Terrell in school

than putting him on the streets.

Mr. Heywood.

I live for your approval.