Family Matters (1989–1998): Season 2, Episode 20 - Fight the Good Fight - full transcript

During Black History Month, Laura and Urkel hope their fellow students will gain appreciation for other cultures and races with a new class. But all they get is a bunch of threats from a ...

- Screwdriver.
- Screwdriver.

- Pliers.
- Pliers.

- Lollipop.
- Lollipop.

Okay, Richie, we're finished.

Now, let's see how
our patient is doing.

[SIGHS]

[WHIRRING]

[SPURTS]

[COUGHS]

It's a goner, Uncle Carl.

Laura, you've had your head
in those books all morning.



- Got a big test coming up?
- No, this is Black History Month.

You know an African-American helped
design the blueprint for Washington, D.C.?

- Yep, Benjamin Banneker.
- Hey, not bad.

Hey, your old man
has read a book or two.

Now, for the championship,
and the toaster oven...

who made the first patented
shoe soling machine?

Uh, uh...
- Buzz.
- Grandma?

It was Jan Matzeliger in 1883.

That's right. How'd
you know that?

Who do you think bought
his first pair of shoes?

Hey, look, here's
something I didn't know.

Alexandre Dumas was black.

- The guy that wrote The Three Musketeers?
- Yeah.

- Most people don't know that.
- Oh.



Why? Don't they teach
black history at your school?

Yeah, but only for one month.

That's one month longer
than they taught it to me.

You know, that really bugs me.

I mean, we've made important contributions
to this country for over 300 years.

But you wouldn't know it looking
in most history books, it's not fair.

Well, sweetheart, if
you feel that strongly,

maybe you should
do something about it.

Maybe I will.

[CHUCKLES]

[CARL CLEARS THROAT]

[CARL GRUNTS]

Okay now, let's give
this baby another shot.

[SIGHS]

[WHIRRING]

[LAUGHING]

[SPURTS]

Way to go, Mr. Fix-It.

Ugh, what is this?

If you have to ask, pass.

STEUBEN: Hey, hey, hey.

Hey, hey, hey.

Oh, hi, my little Jell-O mold.

- Oh, so, Ms. Steuben, what looks good?
- Summer.

Oh, Ms. Steuben,
you're a joke a year.

Ah, Principal Shimata san.

[CHUCKLES]

- Urkel.
- Ah.

[IN JAPANESE]

[IN JAPANESE]

Steve, I'm saving this seat.

Oh, why, how thoughtful.

[SINGING] Oh, it's
lunchtime in the school cafe

Doo-dah Doo-dah

Gonna set my place and feed
my face All the doo-dah day

Steve.

Gonna set my place
Then I'll feed my face

Steve! Oh.

Steven, do we have to
go through this every day?

Well, Ms. Steuben,
it's a well-known fact...

that a pleasant dining
environment aids digestion.

Try it. It may brighten
your complexion.

Which, truth be told, is a
smidge on the sallow side.

Um, listen, everybody, um, I
have an idea I wanna run by you...

Ooh, ooh, ooh, is this the idea I
heard you telling Maxine this morning...

as I trailed behind you at the mutually
agreed upon distance of 20 feet?

Yeah.

- Uh, now, what I'd like...
- Because it's a humdinger of an idea.

But you tell it,
my little crouton.

Thank you.

Um, now, as I was trying to say.

Every February we learn about black
history, but only during that month.

Ooh, ooh, ooh, I love this part.

I'm not trying to criticize you, Ms.
Steuben. You're a great history teacher.

Oh, thank you, Laura.
I always try to make...

Ms. Steuben, please
don't interrupt. It's very rude.

[MOUTHS] Thank you.

So anyway, I thought, why not add a
black history class to the curriculum?

That way we could
study it all year long.

Isn't that a great idea?

Oh, it's a pearl of wisdom
from my little oyster.

Clam up.

So if everyone signed these petitions, we'd
have a better chance getting the class.

This is terrific, Laura.
Let me be the first to sign.

Well, I'll be the second to sign as
soon as Miss Grabby-Pen finishes.

Thanks for signing.

Hold it, hold it, hold it, that's
my pen. Thank you very much.

Hey, hi, guys. Got a sec?

Urkel, go away. We don't
wanna have to dunk you again.

As long as you don't
bank me in, it's fine.

Hey, let me show
you a few moves.

Ooh, don't mess with
me, don't mess with me.

Hey, check it out, man.

[LAUGHS]

Okay, guys, show time's over.

I have vital information
to share with you.

Urkel, I told you a thousand
times. I refuse to take polka lessons.

[CHUCKLES]

Believe it or not, guys,
this even tops polka.

We're trying to get a
black history class here.

It'll help us
appreciate the past...

contributing to the present
and preparing us for the future.

So I'd like all your John
Hancocks right here.

Sounds good to me.
There you go, man.

STEVE: Ooh, thanks a lot,
guys. Well, that was easy.

- Here.
- Okey-dokey, thanks.

Good 'tudes, dudes. Thanks.

Steve.

Oh, Laura, look at
all the signatures I got.

Ooh, good work.
I got a bunch too.

Oh, well, I got most
of the basketball team.

I guess it's on to the swim team next.
I can't wait to show off my backstroke.

[HUMS]

[GRUNTING]

Did I do that?

- Uh, Steve, no more demonstrations, okay?
- Good idea.

But I appreciate all your help.

Oh, well, anytime,
my cute little crusader.

I believe in you, and I
believe in your cause.

Well, I appreciate that, Steve.

Hey, my locker's open.

- Oh, my God.
- Laura, what's wrong?

"If you want black
history, go back to Africa."

What?

[SIGHS]

- Well, how's she doing?
- She's still pretty upset.

She didn't touch her dinner.

Well, Harriette, what are those
people teaching down at that school?

Their own version of the three
R's? Reading, writing and racism?

Carl, calm down. It's
not the school's fault.

Well, is she still crying?

Every time she stops,
she starts all over again.

[SIGHS]

- Damn it.
- Carl.

Harriette, I just
feel so helpless.

My daughter's been hurt
and I can't do a thing about it.

I can't even tell her
it won't happen again.

I know.

You know, I was exposed to this
sort of thing when I was growing up.

But I always hoped it would
be different for my kids.

Come on, Harriette.

The people that did this to us are
teaching that same garbage to their kids.

Carl.

I'm up in Laura's room,
and she looks at me...

And she asks, "Why, Mom?

Why would somebody
do this to me?"

And I hear myself telling her the
same things my mother told me.

"Some people are
ignorant, they're afraid.

They hate anybody and
anything that's different."

And what did she say?

She looked at me with tears
in her eyes and she said:

"But why, Mom?"

[SIGHS]

Laura, what happened?

Daddy, everything's a mess.

Did somebody do
something to you?

It's the whole school. Black
kids won't talk to the white kids.

People calling each
other names, taking sides.

- And it's all my fault.
- Your fault?

[SIGHS]

If I hadn't started that petition,
none of this would have happened.

I just wanted to make things better,
but I ended making them worse.

That's not true. None
of this is your fault.

That's right, that
petition was a great idea.

No, it wasn't.

[SIGHS]

I wish I had never done it.

[SIGHS]

[SOBS] I just wish it
would all go away, Daddy.

Would you two excuse us?

I'd like to speak to my
granddaughter alone.

- But, Mom...
- Scoot, honey, scoot.

Laura, do you mind if your old
grandmother tells you a story?

- Grandma, you're not old.
- Good answer.

No wonder you're
my favorite grandchild.

Sit down, honey.

Laura, when I was about
your age, I loved to read.

Just like you.

But our little town only had one
library and it was for whites only.

- You couldn't check out a book?
- I couldn't even go in.

And even then I
knew it wasn't right.

So one day, I decided
to do something about it.

So I walked in the library.

Sugar, I couldn't
believe my eyes.

There were thousands of books
just sitting there waiting to be read.

Did they let you take one?

The librarian, a white man
that I had known all my life...

pushed me out into the street
and told me never to come back.

- Did you cry?
- All the way home.

And the next day, I cried all
the way back to the library.

You went back?

Every day for six months.

[GASPS]

People stopped and stared.

They called me names,
and some even spit at me.

- Weren't you scared?
- Was I ever.

And sometimes I was sorry I
ever started the whole thing.

But I didn't quit.

Finally, one rainy day...

I walked in dripping wet.

And that same man
that pushed me out...

shook his head and
gave me a library card.

Wow.

And from that day on,
everybody could use that library.

Sugar.

[SIGHS]

I realize you're
having a hard time.

But you've got to stand up
for whatever you believe in...

or things will never change.

This library card...

is proof that one person
can make a difference.

You understand?

Come here. Let me
give you some sugar.

Love you.

MAXINE: Guys, look at all these
important black men and women.

We've got so many posters,
we're running out of walls.

"Dr. George F. Grant patented
the first wooden golf tee in 1899."

Now, gee, that's ironic.

Here it is 92 years later, and we
still can't tee off at some country clubs.

All done.

Wow.

- It looks great.
MAXINE: It sure does.

I'll get it.

I couldn't have
done this without you.

Oh, please, Laura,
you're making me blush.

You know, I just don't get why
people are so afraid of our history.

Well, because it's different.

And believe you me, I know
what being different is all about.

It's not so much that you're
different. It's just, you know...

Well, you know,
you're kind of...

Different.

I'm a square peg
in a round world.

An argyle in a
world of tube socks.

A zipper in a world of Velcro.

But you know what? That's okay.

I don't mind being different.

I like who I am, and I'm
not changing for anybody.

Well, I admire you for that.

Oh, pshaw, you're
making me blush again.

Oh, Laura, this looks great.
You've done a wonderful job.

[GASPING]

- Is there a problem, Principal Shimata?
- Yes, a big one.

Uh, Mr. Shimata, if you
would just let me explain...

Those posters.
Highly inflammatory.

We have a serious
situation at this school.

Racial tension.

These posters can
only fan the flames.

As principal of this school, I will
not allow my flames to be fanned.

Well, easy, Edgar. Don't
get your shorts in a knot.

These posters must be
removed immediately.

[BELL RINGS]

Oh. No, no...

[STUDENTS CHATTERING]

- Garrett A. Morgan invented the stoplight?
- That's right.

I didn't know there were
so many black inventors.

Me neither.

Dr. Daniel Hale Williams performed
the first open heart surgery?

[CHUCKLES]

- I thought it was Christiaan Barnard.
- No, he did the first heart transplant.

Mr. Shimata, the posters seem
to be bringing the kids together.

Mm-hm, hmm, just as I predicted.

Mr. Shimata, all this information
can be found in these books.

These would make great
textbooks for a black history course.

Oh, well, I don't know.

Edgar, a black history course
would only serve to enhance...

your otherwise drab and
predictable curriculum.

It would undoubtedly prevent
the unfortunate rabble rousing...

that has taken place in these
hallowed halls the past few days.

And furthermore,
I... [IN JAPANESE]

Mr. Shimata, I've spoken
to several teachers.

And we would all
welcome the opportunity...

to present a more balanced
view of American history.

Way to go, Stu-Bee-Doo.

Laura, there is a school
committee meeting next month.

Come and recommend that a black history
class be made part of the curriculum.

I'll be there.

Whoa.

[IN JAPANESE]

[IN JAPANESE]

- Screwdriver.
- Screwdriver.

- Pliers.
- Pliers.

- Tootsie Roll.
- Tootsie Roll.

Okay, Rich.

Now, let's see if this
operation was a success.

[WHIRRING]

Hey, Rich, we did it.

[SPURTS]

[RICHIE COUGHING]

Better pop for a new one.

Fat chance.

- Hi.
- How'd the committee meeting go?

Yeah, did you give them the
old Winslow one-two punch?

Well, I hate to brag,
but I knocked them dead.

[ALL CHUCKLE]

We have a good chance of
getting a black history class.

That's my girl.

[CHUCKLING]

- Grandma?
- Yes, honey?

You were right. One person
can make a difference.

Oh, sweetheart.

[English - US -SDH]