He is such a brave boy.
"I am the young man, full
of strength and hope..."
I can not sit idly by in Atlanta...
and not be concerned about
what happens in Birmingham.
You can never whip these birds, if you
don't keep you and them separate.
That's a Watson noggin.
I want you to know we
can be outstanding.
Let freedom ring from every hill
and molehill in Mississippi.
This is about how to
survive a tornado.
Y'all be careful, okay?
I draw the line in the dust...
I will not rest...
until we are able to make this
kind of witness in this city...
We did produce a
non-segregated march...
We don't serve your kind here.
1960-what? 1960-who?
Just shut your stupid mouth.
Where's the colored-only
bathrooms downtown?
There's room here for my
children to play and grow...
Outstanding, Mr. Watson...
Without any outside help
from the federal government.
You know where the
entrance is, right?
When Birmingham becomes more equal, the
entire country becomes more equal.
In 1963, when I was 12 years old...
I lived in Flint, Michigan
with my dad, my mom...
my angelic, little sister Joetta...
and my troubled,
older brother Byron.
And by troubled, I mean he was
always getting into trouble.
I remember a lot about that year.
Including the major snow storm...
and freezing cold weather we
had that first day of spring.
It was so cold, that if you spit, the slob
would be an ice cube before it hit the ground.
It was even cold inside our house.
Maybe it was the cold or maybe
it was Byron's troubles.
But somehow, on that March day...
when we all sat close together
to generate some heat...
the idea of going to Birmingham
for the summer was born.
And spring has already
sprung down south.
In Atlanta, Georgia, the temperatures are
expected to reach the mid-70's this week.
Atlanta... that is right around
the corner from my hometown.
- From your Grandma Sands. I miss my mama.
- Wilona.
I haven't seen her in so long.
Maybe I should have
listened to Hank Henderson.
- Who?
- Not that sorry story.
You gotta let me tell about
what happened to him.
Oh, well, there's not a
whole lot to tell...
just a story about a young
girl who made a bad choice.
But if you're gonna tell it, make
sure you get the facts straight.
Oh, boy, here we go.
Come on, Daddy, tell us.
Yeah, tell us.
Kids, I almost wasn't your daddy.
You almost had a clown for a
daddy named Hambone Henderson.
Hambone? What kind of name is that?
Exactly.
Daniel Watson, you stop right there. You're
the one who started that Hambone nonsense.
But it stuck with him, didn't it?
Hambone Henderson.
Me and your granddaddy
came up with that name...
because the boy had a head
shaped just like a hambone...
and more knots and lumps on
his head than a dinosaur.
So when y'all sit here
giving me dirty looks...
ask yourself would you rather
be cool like your daddy...
or would you rather be a clown
like Hambone Henderson?
Mommy, is that true?
Kenny might be a Hambone.
Naw, Kenny, that's a Watson noggin.
Hambone Henderson proposed to your
momma at the same time that I did...
and he fought dirty, too.
He told her a pack of lies about me
and when she didn't believe them...
he started telling her a
pack of lies about Flint.
And this is how he talk, he say...
"Wilona, I heard tell that far up north
supposed to be colder than inside an icebox."
Said, "I seen it in a movie, yeah,
I think it was made in Flint.
"Movie named 'Nanook of the North'.
"Yup, I think it was made up in Flint.
Uh-huh, Flint, Mitch-again."
He said, "Folks up there, they live
in these things called igloos."
He said, "You a 'Bama gal, you ain't gonna
be too happy living up in no igloo."
Living in Flint is like
living in an igloo.
I knew I should have
listened to Hank.
Now maybe you would have had some lumpy
heads instead of peanut heads...
but at least you'd have been warm.
Now you know Birmingham
is a good place.
Life is slower, but people are
good, church-going people...
they're friendly.
Yes, it's just a laugh
a minute up there.
Let's see, where's the
colored-only bathroom downtown?
- What?
- Colored what?
Colored-only.
Nah, you know that's
not what I mean.
Things aren't perfect down there...
but people are more honest
about the way they feel.
And folks down there do know
how to respect their parents.
Mm-hm.
And I really do miss my momma.
Okay, okay, okay...
I'm gonna call the
landlord again...
see if he can get over here
now and fix this furnace.
But if he can't, I'm gonna
call Aunt Cydney...
and we gonna have to go over
there and stay with her.
Byron, get up. Kenny, get up.
Go scrape off that car.
Byron, get up! Come on! Go!
It's cold.
I'm telling you now, Byron,
I'm not doing your part!
You better do it and I'm
not playing, either.
Shut up, punk.
I'm serious, Byron, and I'm
only doing half the windshield.
I don't care what you do to me.
Shut your stupid mouth!
I got something more
important to do right now.
You know what, square?
I must be adopted.
Because there ain't no way two folks
as ugly as your momma and daddy...
could give birth to someone
as sharp as me. Look at that.
Forget you.
Maybe you are a Hambone!
You're not tricking me again!
Hitting me with all those snowballs.
And in front of Buphead, too.
Not right.
Kenny, Kenny, help, help!
Kenny! Kenny!
Help me, help me!
Help me!
I'm not playing, Byron!
I'm not that stupid.
I'm serious, Kenny, go get help!
Go get momma!
Why?
Go get Momma, go get her, help!
Momma! Come on, quick, it's By!
Kenny Bernard Watson, what
is all that yelling about?
- What on earth is going on?
- Quick! Quick! Hurry!
Come on!
Come on, I need help!
Geh me offa 'ere!
Oh, my word.
It's okay, sweetheart.
How did this happen?
Why you asking how it happened?
Can't you tell?
This little knucklehead was kissing
his reflection in the window...
and his lips got stuck.
- Dad, help!
- Daniel, what are we gonna do?
What do y'all do when
this happens up here?
I don't know, I've lived in
Flint, Michigan my whole life...
and I ain't never seen anyone with
their lips stuck to a window.
I don't know what to
do, let him thaw out.
Pull him off, Dad.
No, no, no, no!
What should we do? Should we pour
some hot water on the window...
so it'll warm up and
we can pull him off?
Byron, don't worry, baby.
We gonna get you off of here.
I don't know, pouring hot water
on it might make it worse.
But yeah, get some hot water out of
the tap and I'll see what I can do.
Gimme this.
Okay, lover boy...
I guess you won't be getting
called hot lips, huh?
The last of the red
hot lovers, either.
Don't do that!
Oh, no, don't do that!
No! Let me go!
You better stop banging on this
brown bomber, boy, I ain't playing.
Hey! Come here.
Okay, come on, okay.
It's okay, it's all right.
It's okay.
Oh, no, 'top! 'top!
Daniel, get in the house
and call the hospital...
see what they say we should do.
Joey and Kenny, go with your daddy!
Okay, sweetheart, now you know
we're gonna have to do something.
I'm just gonna warm up your
face a little bit, okay?
All right, just relax, just relax.
Okay, now you know I love you...
and I wouldn't do anything
to hurt you, right?
- Right? Okay.
- Wait, what are you gonna do?
All right, it's okay.
It's okay, baby.
No, no, can't... can't
hurt my mouth! Oh! No!
No, no! No! Come on!
Get off me!
Yee-ow!
I didn't see it, but I bet
Byron's lips stretched a mile...
before he let go of that window.
I bet his lips looked like a giant rubber band
before they snapped away from that glass.
- Hey, Joey, guess what?
- What?
When I get to Aunt Cydney's...
I'm going to start writing
my own comic book.
About what?
Well, it's going to be about
this really mean criminal...
who has a terrible accident that
turns him into a superhero.
Do you know what I'm gonna
call that superhero?
Mm-mm.
The Lipless Wonder.
All he does is beat up other superheroes
who are smaller than him...
and the only thing he's afraid of...
is a cold window.
You wait, I'm gonna kick
your little behind!
As the weather warmed up, Byron
and his friend Buphead...
were happy to be on the streets
after being cooped up inside.
We all were, but Byron and
Buphead together were dangerous.
There's a problem?
What up, punk?
You want to learn something that
may save your stupid life one day?
Er, uh, no.
No? Well, we're gonna
teach you anyway.
Yeah, this is called how
to survive a tornado.
Byron, why would you do that?
Are you okay, Kenny?
I'm fine, get on the bus.
Give my regards to
Clark, Poindexter.
You're not going to school?
School is for punks.
The only thing worse than
when Buphead and Byron...
were around, was when they weren't.
It was like an open season on me
for the other kids to jump me.
Poindexter the punk.
Sometimes when Byron
tried to cut class...
he got busted and
dragged to school.
On those days, it was
particularly rough on me.
Like it was my fault.
I've stressed on
numerous occasions...
the importance of being
familiar with literature.
And I want to remind you of the vital
importance of being able to read well...
and to be able to present
yourselves well in public...
with the highest of standards.
Today I want to give you a demonstration
of your own possibilities in this regard.
I want you to know we
can be outstanding.
Kenneth Watson?
Come on in here.
Respect your fellow students.
Go on, son, show them how it's done.
Because I liked to read, I was a
target for torture and ridicule.
I was so nervous, I couldn't
even open up my book.
Good thing I didn't need it.
This is a poem written by
Langston Hughes in 1935.
Let America Be America Again.
Let America be America again.
Let it be the dream it used to be.
I am the young man full
of strength and hope...
tangled in that ancient,
endless chain of profit...
power, gain of grab the land.
We the people must redeem
the land, the mines...
the plants, the rivers,
the mountains.
An endless plain, all...
all the stretch of these
great, green states.
And make America... America.
Again.
Bravo. Outstanding, Mr. Watson.
Here that little egg head punk is.
Leave the little clown alone.
It's a crying shame, takin' him
around like a circus freak.
Look, at least you oughtta make
them pay you for doing that mess.
If it was me, they'd be
coming out their pockets...
with some serious folding money
every time they took me around.
I figured they were going to
tease me or beat me up...
but just like that,
Byron saved my neck.
He could be like that sometimes.
You just never knew which
Byron you were gonna get.
Byron, do you really think the
genie behind the couch...
is gonna fix my doll's arm?
I told you, he will fix it.
Just give it time.
Leave it back there overnight
and see what happens.
Don't believe him, Joey.
He's just making this all up.
Hmm, that's what he's saying now...
but, Joey, remember when Kenny
had that big math test?
- He went behind the sofa to study and guess what grade he got?
- What?
- An A.
- Really, Kenny?
Byron is the one who made us
believe in magic powers...
that genies and angels
lived behind the couch.
I wasn't sure if I believed,
but just in case...
sometimes I studied back
there for reinforcement.
Yeah, yeah.
Byron, I want you and Kenny to go up
to Mitchell's and get some milk...
a loaf of bread, and a small can
of tomato paste for dinner.
Why can't Kenny go by himself?
Byron, I want some milk,
a loaf of bread...
and a small can of tomato paste.
On Thursday, the Negroes
gave vivid evidence...
that they would no longer tolerate
the patterns of the last 100 years.
The crowd surged into downtown
and outside the south...
voices were roused to ask why the
federal government was not involved.
You shouldn't watch that in
front of Kenny and Joetta.
Yeah, I understand, grown-ups only.
Oh, Byron, please don't start.
After Byron got busted
stealing from Mitchell's...
he wasn't supposed to be
outside of the house at all.
It was like he
couldn't help himself.
He couldn't stay out of trouble.
He kept digging deeper and deeper.
Byron was out of control.
Action!
Enemy parachutes attack America...
shot down over Flint River by Captain Byron
Watson and his flamethrower of death.
Take six.
Ja wohl, mein Fuhrer!
Auf wiedersehen!
Such a brave soldier
deserves our respect...
so we give him a burial at sea.
Momma, I...
Come here.
Didn't I tell you, Byron?
I told you... one more time.
One more time!
If I found you burning matches
in this house one more time...
putting this family in danger,
I was gonna wear you out...
and this time, I am going to do it!
You have left me no choice.
Momma, please don't do it!
He won't do it again,
will you, Byron?
- Promise her!
- Joetta, move! Move!
Promise Momma you
won't do it again!
He needs to learn a
very important lesson.
No! No!
Come here.
And what are you doing with
a hat on in this house?
Take it off!
- Momma, I...
- Right now!
What have you done?
Byron had gotten a conk...
a process, a doo, a
butter, a ton of trouble.
Byron, run and get out of here!
- Can't you see she's not playing?
- Joetta, move away from him!
Momma! No!
Hey! Hey!
What is going on?
Oh, man!
Hold your head still, boy.
Take off one of those
ears by mistake.
Kenny, what are you doing?
Uh, nothing, Momma.
What's your daddy doing?
He's whistling... and
cutting off Byron's hair.
Come on with me and
leave them alone.
Yes, Momma.
The genie did it.
The genie did it,
that's pretty amazing.
- Ow!
- Cut it out, it's just a little aftershave.
Mrs. Watson, I would like to introduce
you to your long-lost son from Siam...
his royal highness, Yule Watson.
And Mrs. Watson, you can't possibly
deny that this is your child...
because as you can see, he has
a lot of Sands blood in him...
look at these ears.
Don't try to blame that
on my side of the family.
Someone switched this
child at the hospital.
Hmm, come on.
Hey! I can't believe you, my son...
would want to walk around
looking like some pimp...
or hustler or white boy,
none of which you are.
So you go, you get the
broom, the dustpan...
you clean that bathroom out...
and you go in your room
and stay in your room.
You're old enough now,
you been told enough.
Now we gotta do something
about it! Beat it!
She's a tough, old lady...
but why does she think she
gotta yell into the phone...
every time we talk long distance?
Give me this.
Okay, Momma, we'll be
getting back to you.
I love you.
Bye bye.
I don't know why we
didn't catch on...
that something different was
really going to happen this time.
Momma and Dad started acting real strange
right after they talked to Grandma Sands.
Come on, everybody!
Everybody, all right, now!
Here we go! Come on!
Lean in here. Come on,
Byron, what do you think?
Well, what on earth is
that towel doing there?
Kenny, do the honors.
Ladies and gentlemen, introducing the
newest addition to the Brown Bomber.
Our very own...
drive around record player!
Oh, boy!
Oh, man, this is too, too hip!
No one's got one of these.
Speedy don't even have one
in his Cadillac, man.
Too much, way too much!
Turn it on, Dad!
Well, well, well, I see that you
three have the ultimate in taste.
I see you have chosen a
top-of-the-line, the cream-of-the-crop.
The Truetone AB-700
model, the Ultra Glide.
And, as I'm sure such a fine and
intelligent-looking family such as this...
it is Mr. and Mrs. Watson, yes?
And this is your son, isn't it?
Oh, no, this isn't our son...
this is just a little juvenile
delinquent boy that we feel sorry for...
and let us follow us
around some of the time.
Our real son has hair.
Hey, hey, hey!
Please, Mrs. Watson, can you
control this little delinquent...
that follows you
around all the time?
Because if I see him over there playing
with the knobs on that record player...
I might just pull his
fingers off his hand.
Well, well, well!
I see you have such a
beautiful, young daughter.
Oh, yes, we are very proud.
Oh!
Daniel, go on and
start that record.
All right.
Did you tell them yet?
No, it can wait.
No, it can't.
Uh-oh, this sounded like the
way Byron and I found out...
we were going to have a sister.
Children, in a few days, your daddy's
gonna get some vacation time...
and we're gonna drive
to Birmingham.
Now y'all know I haven't been back home in a
while, and it's time for us to see our family.
And for you to get to
know your southern roots.
Now when we get there, your daddy will stay for
a few days and we will stay for the summer.
Yeah, that's why I bought the Ultra
Glide, because we have a long trip.
It's 15 hours down there and
once we get around Cincinnati...
ain't nothing but hillbilly
music gonna be playing.
And depending on how things go...
Byron may stay with Grandma
Sands for the school year.
Yeah, you know I didn't want to condemn you
to stay with Grandma Sands like that...
but you left us no other choice.
We had heard so many
horrible stories...
about how strict Grandma Sands was.
The thought of living with
her was so terrible...
that your brain would throw
it out as soon as it came in.
We've been telling you, Byron.
You've been given
warning after warning.
But instead of improving,
you're getting worse.
You've cut school so much, Mr. Williams
has been by here three times...
to see what's wrong with you.
You've been lighting fires,
you've been fighting.
You stole from the
Mitchell Food Fair.
You set mouse traps in the
backyard for the birds.
That's just too much, Byron.
We can't have all that
nonsense going on.
Now I never thought I'd say it...
but maybe a dose of Birmingham will
help you get your priorities straight.
And best of all,
there is no Buphead.
Hey!
No, no, let him go, Daniel.
He better get as much of this
nonsense out of his system as he can.
The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
campus is on tight security guard...
as Governor Wallace appeals for
calm as he stands in the doorway...
to prevent two Negro students from
registering at the University.
He made a campaign promise
to prevent integration...
of the last all-white
state university.
And I say segregation now,
segregation tomorrow...
and segregation forever.
- Momma?
- Hm.
Is that where we're going?
Go on to your room, Kenny.
Don't you worry about that.
Go on, baby.
It's a tough break, man.
You couldn't figure
your way out, huh?
And dang, down south, you gonna
come back all countrified.
No, I'm not. That old bag
can't do nothing to me.
You watch, when we ride in that stupid car,
I'm not gonna say one word the whole way.
That's a long ride.
That's right, I'm not gonna talk.
It'll drive them crazy.
Well, listen, I got room on the floor
in my bedroom if you need it, man.
That might work.
Tonight, after lights out.
I'll be up waiting for you.
That's it. Thanks, man.
What would I do without you?
I keep asking myself
that same question.
Bye, Mrs. Watson, bye, Joey.
Goodbye, Stewart.
Well, I didn't want to keep you, I
just wanted to give Joey this angel.
She's been so wonderful in Sunday School,
and she's just an angel herself.
See, Wilona, didn't I tell you
she looked just like Joey?
Look at that smile.
Let me see that.
The only thing about its smile
that looked like Joey to me...
was that the angel had a little
dimple on her right cheek, too.
Thank you, Mrs. Davidson.
You're welcome, child.
We'll miss you in Sunday School.
Let me walk you out.
Joey, what's wrong?
That doll doesn't
look at all like me.
Well, I can see how it
might remind her of you.
Look at that dimple.
She's white.
Well, I can't say she isn't,
but an angel's an angel.
What do you think?
Maybe, but I know that angel's
name is not Joetta Watson.
Lights out, Kenny.
Byron, you come with us.
What for?
Oh, we thought since this is your
last night in Flint for a while...
you might like to
spend it in our room.
You thought what?
Come on, By, you're
bunking with us.
Man!
It wasn't me.
- Come on, go get him, Kenny.
- Okay.
We gotta get on the road right now.
Come on, guys!
Come on, Byron, what you doing?
Let's go, let's go, let's go.
Baby girl, come, come, come.
Let your little sister in there.
I got you, baby. Here we go.
Thank you.
Okay, listen up.
Day One, today, we
left at 5:00 AM...
so by the time we get to Tennessee, the
sun'll be up and we can travel in daylight.
Travel in daylight?
Just to be safe. Travelling in the daylight
in the south is what's best for us.
We'll drive for six more hours, and
that should get us to Cincinnati.
Mr. Johnson says there's
some clean rest stops there.
Hey, Momma, can I see your journal?
Mm-hm.
Why is that bird trying
to land on a flower?
That's exactly what I said, but
then she got highly offended.
You all just do not know good art,
that is not a bird, it is a bee.
Well, maybe if I scrunch
my eyes real tight.
Scrunch.
Anything else I can get you folks?
No, thank you, we gotta
get on the road.
Where are you headed?
Down to Alabama.
Wow, that is a long ride.
Well, you all be
careful, all right?
- We will, thank you.
- Thank you.
Thank you.
Let's go.
How we gonna work
this record player?
What do you mean?
We're gonna take turns?
Well, we won't be playing
it for quite a bit yet...
because we can carry WKBO all
the way down into Ohio...
and they play pretty good music.
But when we do play it,
we're gonna take turns?
Sure.
Cool. I'm first?
Sure, okay.
We'll go by seniority.
Cool.
Guess you showed them, didn't you?
Boy, they are begging you to
talk, weren't they, Daddio?
- You little...
- I guess being a lipless wonder can't stop you from talking.
Stop! Stop!
Stop it!
Hey! Hey! I said no nonsense
and I don't mean maybe.
President Kennedy submitted...
Jack you up in Alabama, punk!
Ssh, ssh. Daniel, turn that up.
What'd they say?
to desegregate schools...
allow federal programs to be cut off in any
area where discrimination was practiced.
And establish a community
relations service...
to help local communities
to resolve racial disputes.
The bill is expected to
be voted on this fall.
And in other news,
yesterday in Birmingham...
there was another bombing in
the North Smithfield section.
Time to use the bathroom.
Byron, help Joey put her shoe on.
Oh, nasty.
What's the word on them toilets?
Oh, you like those, huh?
You better get used
to those, Byron.
That's called an outhouse, and
that's what Grandma Sands has.
What?
Uh-huh, that's where you gonna be taking
care of your business for a while, boy.
Wait, let me dig this.
You mean if I gotta use the
bathroom, I gotta go outside?
Into a little, nasty
thing like that?
Well, ain't they got no
sanitation laws down there?
How you gonna have a hole for a
toilet and not get folks sick?
Don't them things attract flies?
Oh, I remember those outhouses.
We used to go visit my
grandma in the country...
and she used to keep a
catalog inside the outhouse.
So when you were done, you
know, doing your business...
you had to rip off a
page from the catalog.
We get the picture, Daniel.
You had to do it, man.
You had to do it.
Dad, now can we play
my favorite song?
Now, just for Kenny Watson of the famous
Watson's, I'll play his favorite song.
All right.
You can run like a rabbit
Fly like a bee
No matter what you do
You'll never get away from me
Because I'm right behind you
Baby right behind you baby
I'm right behind you baby and
You'll never get away from me
You can make up your face
Dye your hair
No matter what you do
Turn around I'll be there
I'm right behind you baby
I'm right behind you baby
Well I'm right behind you baby
Dad, do you know what
you're listening to?
Kenneth, you know
I've been thinking.
I've been thinking about changing
all our names to country names...
when we go back to Michigan.
So, I'll be Clem. You'll be Homer.
And you know, Joey, you have to have a
cute name, your name will be Daisy May.
And you, you'll be Billy Bob.
And your mother, well, uh, your
mother's name can just stay Wilona...
because I don't believe we could find a
more country name than that if we tried.
Yes, well, I hope you can make sure
and get us the whole ways home, Clem.
Elsin' we'll be some
pitiful folks sho nuff'.
Uh-uh, uh-uh.
Civil rights leader Medgar
Evers was gunned down today...
outside his home in
Jackson, Mississippi.
In his arms was a stack of sweatshirts
that read, Jim Crow must go.
What?
My word.
In 1954, Evers wrote an article
called, "Why I Love Mississippi".
Here is an excerpt.
It may sound funny, but I love the south.
I don't choose to live any where else.
There's land here where a man can raise
cattle and I'm going to do that some day.
There are lakes where a man can
sink a hook and fight bass.
There is room here for my
children to play, and grow...
and become good citizens, if
the white man will let them.
Whoo!
When we finally arrived
in Birmingham...
it didn't seem so different
from Flint after all.
There were no outhouses, but I would soon
learn that when you looked a little closer...
it was like you were
in a different world.
Whoo! Babies, we home!
We home!
Oh, you look so good.
You do, too!
Really? Y'all come over here
and give your grandma a hug.
Oh!
Kenneth Bernard Watson, you best acting
so silly. Give Grandma a good hug!
Whoa.
It's so nice to see you,
Grandma Sands.
Oh, 'Lona, look at this child!
If this ain't you!
Look at this baby!
Just as pretty and sweet
as you want to be.
Oh, you calling this a bad child?
This little saint's about ready to go
back north, go to Sunday School...
go home and scrub all
the floors, aren't you?
Yes, ma'am.
Oh, you grew up to be
a fine looking boy.
You was so puny when you was born, you
nearly worried us crazy. Now look at you!
Strapping man!
Oh, we gonna get on just fine.
What you think, By?
Yes, ma'am.
My family, my beautiful,
beautiful family!
Oh, Wilona, family,
this is Mr. Robert.
Hi, I heard...
Y'all come on inside, let me
get you something to eat.
What you staring at?
What'd you expect?
We just got here.
I gotta feel the old bird out.
She probably got a weak heart or something.
I ain't gonna have her death on my hands.
By, By, By.
By?
- Dad?
- Yeah.
Good morning, Kenny.
Morning, Dad, morning, By.
Morning, Mr. Robert.
- Morning.
- Man, you gotta quit drinking so much water.
He sweated up the
whole bed last night.
I ain't sharing a bed with your leaky,
little b... your leaky, little self again.
When y'all boys gonna
get used to the heat?
So, is he too old to hunt?
Well, he never was a good hunting
dog, but he's a great guard dog.
Old Toddy'd give his life for
anybody under this roof.
Should we be worried?
Oh, no, just some folks want
to cause trouble, that's all.
Uh, trouble?
Well, since colored folks moved up here,
started building all these nice homes...
some folks want to harass them.
Now they gotta integrate all the
elementary schools in September...
they trying to destroy
the whole neighborhood.
Chase everybody away.
But you ain't gotta
worry, we got Toddy.
The mailman won't even
come near this house.
He come up in the backyard
one day, Toddy tore him up!
Nothing like a good dog.
You see a little boy with a big
dog, that dog obey that little boy.
You better not mess with him.
Byron, Kenny, I'm gonna teach
you some of Toddy's tricks.
And he gonna love playing with
you boys while you're here.
When do we eat?
When do we eat? You the only one
that hasn't eaten yet, Kenny.
But Grandma and your mother's
in the kitchen, go eat.
Watch this, Toddy, down! Toddy, down!
He thinking about it.
Four hours... good morning, Kenny.
Good morning, Momma.
Good morning, Joey.
Good morning, Grandma Sands.
You sleep all right?
It was really hot.
I know, I was sweating all night.
Well, what about Calla Lilly Lincoln?
I always wondered what she's doing?
'Lona, didn't I write
you about that?
She and her family moved, too.
Lots of folks are leaving town.
And what about you, Momma?
You think you be all right
up here by yourself?
Now you know you can
always move in with us.
Child, you know I
ain't going nowhere.
This is my home. Ain't nobody
gonna run me out of here.
Plus, I got Robert to look after.
Robert...
Mr. Robert seems like a
nice enough man, but...
I was wondering when we
was gonna get to that.
Robert and I have been good friends
since right after y'all left for Flint.
Good friends, but when
did he move in here?
Wilona Sands, what is it
that's bothering you?
Why don't you just say
what's on your mind?
I just don't understand why you
never told me he was living here.
I mean, where's his house?
'Lona, things are different from
what they were when you left here.
Everything is changing.
Your daddy's been gone for almost 20 years
now and Robert is my dearest friend.
I like having him around.
He protects this house,
him and that dog.
Mr. Robert's gonna show us around downtown,
and Joey and Kenny, you're coming.
So, Kenny, finish up and go get dressed, and
leave these two alone, let them catch up.
Hurry up, go, go, go!
Come on!
This is good.
Y'all have a nice time now!
It's just gonna take
me a little while.
Oh, come on!
Hey, what's that smell?
Fried onions, burgers, hot
dogs and french fries.
Hot dogs? Let's go!
They smell good.
Hi, my family's right behind us, so
we should have five hot dogs, please.
And can we have a side of french
fries with each hot dog? Thank you.
Y'all aren't from
around here, are you?
Was it my accent that gave me way?
See, we don't serve your kind here.
You're gonna have to go around
back to get something to eat.
Now y'all better get on.
What?
Sorry, ma'am, these boys,
they're from Michigan.
They don't know how we do things down
here in Birmingham. Come on, y'all.
Why? I want a hot dog.
Let's go, boy, you heard
Mr. Robert. Let's go, now!
But she said go around back.
I want a hot dog right here,
right now. What's the problem?
Boy, you better get up off your seat.
We done told you nice. Now get out!
Margaret, you don't need to talk to them
like that. They're not from around here.
Please, outsiders come around
all the time startin' trouble.
Now you go on before I have to call
the police and have you arrested.
I was so confused. I couldn't
figure out why the lady was so mad.
What did we do to her?
Come on!
Man, I'm going back there and I'm
throwing a rock through their window!
If Buphead were down here,
we'd tear that store up!
Byron! Violence is not the answer.
I don't care, that was wrong!
Well, you better care!
This is for real down here and if you don't
follow the rules, you can get seriously hurt!
So while we're down here,
follow the rules, period!
And Kenny, you just need to know what
the rules are and you'll be okay.
You just stay out of white
folks' way, you be all right.
Man, how do I know if I'm in their way,
when I just wanted to buy a hot dog?
Well, you'll get used to it.
I don't think so.
Mr. Robert, where can we go to fish and swim
and do something to pick up our spirits?
Great minds think alike, Daniel.
She was the prettiest little thing. She
just went screaming like a little pig.
I thought they gave
me the wrong baby.
Oh, here they are.
Did y'all have a good time?
Uh, we had a little incident, but Mr. Robert
showed us where they fish and swim...
- which seemed to help.
- An incident?
Robert, you didn't take them down
to Collier's Landing, did you?
Well, now, Gloria, you know I'm not gonna take
your grandkids anywhere near Collier's Landing.
I know you'd never forgive me
if these kids was to get hurt.
You got that right.
Children, now you remember, stay
away from Collier's Landing.
That whirlpool in that water
is dangerous, you hear me?
What's a Wooh Pooh?
Hi, Marlene, how are you?
Children, come on over here
and say hi to your cousins.
They've been waiting to meet you.
Hi.
Why don't y'all go play down by those swings
I had Robert put in before you got here.
- What incident?
- Robert, what did you do?
- Well, we were just walking.
- Down at that diner.
What happened to your leg?
Oh, I got hurt during the marches.
You marched? I saw that on TV.
What were you doing out there?
We were fighting for an equal
education, an equal life.
As Junior and Sarah were telling
us about how they marched...
I could vividly picture
what they went through.
Whoo! Good morning, boys and girls!
It's Pauly the "Catman" Carter on WENN.
Make sure you grab
your toothbrush...
head on down to the party
at Kelly Ingram Park.
Why bring your toothbrush you ask?
Cuz lunch will be served!
Hey, wait, I want to march, too.
Let me go today, see how
everything turns out.
You can go tomorrow if
everything goes okay.
What in the world?
Students! When I turn my back, for those of
you who want to leave, I won't stop you.
And since I won't
see you walk out...
I won't be able to mark you absent.
Everybody was so excited
about the march...
that we couldn't keep the
kids away, not even Sarah.
All right, amen.
As Dr. Martin Luther King
has said countless times.
Non-violence is the
key in the fight...
to break the bondage of oppression.
Amen.
In Birmingham, that oppression has
manifested a segregation in our schools...
our stores and our lunch counters.
And when the world sees
you walking in peace...
praying for justice,
segregation will fall.
When Birmingham becomes more equal, the
entire country becomes more equal.
You have the power
to make that happen!
Now when you exit the doors,
we will walk north of 6th Avenue...
and you will go out
in groups of 50.
Now the goal of this march
is to get arrested.
Now when the police approach, you
go with him in peace, no violence.
Our progress in gaining freedom
depends on your ability...
to refrain from any
acts of violence.
You must remove anything that might
appear to be a weapon. Switchblades...
No knives, even a fancy comb or a nail
file could be considered a weapon.
So be sure to throw it all here in
this barrel in front of the church.
Are you ready to move for justice?
Yeah!
Let me hear you move for justice!
All right, ain't gonna let
nobody turn me around!
Turn me around! Turn me around!
Ain't gonna let nobody
turn me around!
Turn me around!
Turn me around!
Ain't gonna let nobody turn me around!
I'm gonna keep on walking.
Thank you, darling.
My brother!
Thank you, brother!
Now! Right now, my brothers and sisters!
Now we're ready.
I couldn't believe
these were my cousins.
They'd experienced things
I'd only ever seen on TV.
That was Day One.
D-Day.
Everybody was talking about how
successful the marches were.
Like 1,000 kids went to jail.
Junior and I didn't get arrested.
There were so many kids from all
over the Birmingham area...
that not everybody could
get arrested in one day.
So Sarah and I went back the next
day, Naomi even came with us.
Our whole class was there.
That was Double D-Day.
Then... everything went wild.
They turned the fire hoses
and the dogs on us.
Weren't you scared?
Our freedom was more
important than anything.
You keep saying that.
What do you mean?
I mean, we want to be equal.
We want everything
the white kids get.
We get their old books. We get their old uniforms
for sports when they get everything new.
They're always gonna be ahead,
because they get everything first.
But people got hurt.
Sometimes people get hurt in a fight, but
you still gotta do what you gotta do.
Did you end up in jail?
For almost two weeks.
- Two weeks?
- Well, what about school?
What did your parents do?
My parents supported us.
They were kind of proud of
us, so were our teachers.
Proud of you for going to jail?
I could see the wheels
turning in Byron's head.
If he could make Momma and Daddy proud of
him for going to jail, he was gonna try.
So what's the story now?
Are you all still marching?
We'll see. Some folks are still trying
to keep us out of their schools.
But the law now says they have to.
The law don't matter to some folks. They try
to keep us out, we'll just march again.
Cool. I'd go out
there with you guys.
Slow down, stay together now.
Come on.
Good afternoon, I'd like four
tickets to "To Kill a Mockingbird".
One dollar.
Thank you. You know where
the entrance is, right?
Yeah, I believe I do.
I'm sorry, you know, if it was up to
me, we'd all go through the same door.
Yeah, I understand.
Well, enjoy the show.
Thank you.
Wait, this way, this
way, right around here.
And stay together, okay?
It's this door right here.
Here, let me get ahead of you.
Come on. Come on.
There you go.
Come on. Come on, boy.
Down here.
I think we're right here.
You and me can hare this one.
I couldn't understand
why white folks...
would put colored people right over their
heads when they treated them so mean.
I know what you're thinking.
Don't do it.
That's the film.
Wait a minute.
You know, by the time you wake
up, I'll be halfway home.
Yeah.
So I'm gonna need you to be the man
of this household while I'm gone.
Can you do that for me?
I know you can, but will you?
What do you mean?
I mean, I don't like leaving my family
down here in the segregated south...
not without me, but I
don't have a choice.
I gotta go to work and your mother wants
to spend some time with her mother.
So what do you need from me?
I want you to think before you act.
Because your actions have
real consequences down here.
You are the one I
know I can count on.
Your mother and I are hard on you, because
we see the potential that you have.
You know, if you worked at it, you'd
be just as good as Kenny is at school.
Kenny is just a kid, so, please,
keep an eye on him for me.
I think Birmingham's been
hard on him, all right?
All right.
I couldn't believe how
fast things had changed.
Now Dad was trusting
Byron to look after me?
I had to show them I could
take care of myself.
And that I wasn't just
Poindexter the punk.
Oh, man, Collier's Landing!
Let's go!
Uh-uh, Kenny!
You heard what Grandma Sands said about
that little boy who got lost in the water.
Even Sarah said it isn't safe.
What is that thing called
that she said got him?
Didn't you hear what
she said, Joey?
She said he got caught
by the Wooh Pooh.
Is that a fish?
Uh-uh, you know who Winnie
the Pooh is, don't you?
Mm-hm.
Well, the Wooh Pooh is
Winnie's evil twin brother.
Don't no one ever write about him, because
they don't want to scare y'all kids.
And what he does, is hide in the water
and snatches stupid kids down with him.
Now if Kenny wants to take his stupid, little
behind down there and get snatched, let him.
Even our cousin said they
don't swim out there.
But Byron, what if the Wooh Pooh
comes down to where we're going?
Can't he swim down there
and get people, too?
No, the Wooh Pooh don't
come to no public beaches.
What you gonna do, punk?
Come on, Kenny, you know
what Grandma Sands said.
Our cousins said to
be careful here, too.
Uh, I'm going to Collier's Landing.
And I'm not scared of no Wooh
Pooh, and I'm not a scaredy cat.
Go on, I don't need you looking
out for me all the time.
Fine, suit yourself.
I'm not playing!
I'mma show you!
Ain't nothing to be scared of.
I'm going to Collier's Landing.
You're a couple of jive squares!
Momma! M...
Momma!
Come on, Kenny!
Come on.
Breathe, little brother!
Stop, stop!
Get off of me! Stop!
Kenny! Kenny!
By?
The Wooh Pooh's real.
- I saw it.
- Ssh.
Just catch your breath.
Catch your breath.
How you feeling?
Tired.
Hey, By?
Thanks for not telling Momma
about Collier's Landing.
No problem, baby bro.
You probably will be tired all day,
so I'd take it easy if I were you.
Yeah.
Don't worry, I'll cover for you.
They would blame me anyway, so it's in
my best interest to look out for you.
And when they ask, I'll tell them I tired
you out running you around the lake.
Now I'm going back to sleep.
Those crickets kept me up all night.
Hey, By? You ready to go home?
I don't know.
I may be able to do
some good down here.
What?
You'd stay down here,
even if you didn't have to?
I don't know.
But... living down here is much
harder than living at home.
This is your home...
you gotta make it work.
I'm glad Momma left here
and never came back.
I hope it's a long time before
we come back down here again.
You think you're coming
home with us?
We'll see.
This little light of mine
I'm gonna let it shine
Let it shine let it shine
Let it shine
Everywhere I go
I'm gonna let it shine
Let it shine let it shine
Let it shine
Mommy!
There's my singer!
You were wonderful!
Thank you.
Guess what?
What?
They asked me to sing and help during their
first Holy Run Youth Service on September 15th.
Oh.
They need to know, 'cause I
have to make sure I practice...
all the songs and know
how to run service.
Mm-hm.
So can I, Mommy?
Please?
Well, we were supposed to be home in time
to get ready for school by the 17th.
Oh, Mommy, we can miss one day.
I love this church. It's even
better than our church in Flint.
I know, I miss this
old church, too.
So?
I'll talk to your daddy.
Yay!
Wait, what? I don't want to spend one
more hot day down here than I have to.
- Kenny.
- Look how happy the little squirt is.
Come on, we all right.
- We all right.
- Down we go.
You think we're okay to walk home?
Oh, don't worry.
Wherever that was, it's in the
opposite direction of where we headed.
Yeah, we'll be all right.
Sound like it was over in Smithfield.
I hope the Shores are all right.
The Shores?
Yes, baby.
He's a lawyer.
And the white folks are mad about all the
work he's been doing in the courts...
to get them five colored
children into the white schools.
Is that near our house?
It's not too close.
Don't worry now.
Oh, so much been going on
this year, we've been lucky.
Pray that wherever that explosion
was, though, nobody got hurt.
Okay, Momma, can we please
change the subject?
We don't need to be talking about these
things in front of the children.
Well, you can't protect them from it.
They live in it, too.
That's why it took me so
long to come back down here.
But you're here now.
By 11:30, there are more than
200,000 filling the Mall...
a crowd that is bigger than the
most optimistic forecasts.
This is amazing. Look at all
those people out there.
It's so wonderful to see all of these
young people, I mean, this entire year.
Stand up and demand something
more for themselves.
I am so proud.
I think it's wonderful, too.
I just worry for their safety.
Especially for the
younger children.
I wouldn't want my babies
out there marching.
Now you can't stop young folk once
they get an idea in they head.
Especially when they know
they on the side of right.
I think it's cool Junior,
Sarah and them marched.
I would have gone out there.
Anywhere trouble is, is where
you want to be, Byron.
What about you, Kenny?
You think you would
have wanted to protest?
Mm, mm, all of them people talking about
making the country better for us.
Ah, it just reminds me
how far I have come.
Y'all have no idea how
lucky you all are.
When I was growing
up in the country...
we had to be up in the dark of
morning before the sun come up...
to start plowing the dirt to
plant the crops we was growing.
My Daddy was so poor, we
ain't even had a mule.
I was the mule.
Oh, Momma...
Well, it's true.
Your momma don't know nothing about no hard
work, either, growing up here in Birmingham.
Mm, it was hard in them days.
And now, seeing all the changes everybody's
trying to make so that we can all live better.
Mm, it's a beautiful thing.
I tried to picture Grandma
Sands with a plow on her back.
And I'll I could think was, if this woman
was so strong, what's wrong with me?
Instead of feeling proud,
I just felt scared.
You're not going to Sunday School?
I'm going to church with Momma
instead of Sunday School.
I'mma walk Joey over there and come
back and change before church.
Oh, so you a big boy now.
I don't know what a
shoulder shrug means.
I guess so.
Come here.
I know y'all getting
ready to leave.
I want you to know I'm really
gonna miss you, Kenny.
I have enjoyed our visit.
Maybe next time, I'll come visit
you, up there in Michigan.
Grandma, what was it that you said was
in the water at Collier's Landing?
What, the whirlpool?
Yeah.
Oh, yes, the whirlpool.
You gotta stay away from that.
I'm all set, Grandma Sands.
Well, not quite.
I got you a little something for
your special day at our church.
Heels?
I love them!
Thank you, Grandma Sands!
Oh, you're welcome, sweetie!
I never understood why girls
got so excited over shoes.
But I had to admit, those
heels made Joey shine.
Let's see.
Oh, you look good, Joey.
All right now, but come here,
let me fix that slip, it's hanging.
All right, okay! Y'all better
get going so you won't be late.
I'd like some sugar!
- Go!
- Bye!
Bye!
- Hey, Joey!
- Huh?
You look really pretty.
And I'm sure you're gonna do good in the
choir helping with the service today.
Thanks, Kenny.
As Joey caught up
with her friends...
I couldn't help but think
that the three of them...
made up the red, white and
blue of the American flag.
Can you last one more night?
Just one more.
Can you believe I'm ready
to get back to Flint, too?
Really?
Why do you think I left
here in the first place?
I couldn't take that "colored water
fountain, back-of-the-bus way of living".
I didn't want my children
to grow up like that.
What about Grandma?
She didn't want to leave.
She's always said, this is her home
and no one is gonna drive her out.
She's... stronger
than I am, I guess.
I don't like it here, either.
But you had fun with Grandma Sands
and Joetta made some good friends.
- Hey, hey!
- Dad?
Daniel, what are you doing here?
I didn't think you'd be
back until tonight.
I missed you guys,
so I left early...
put the pedal to the metal and
got here as soon as I could.
Great, so, can we leave tonight?
Tonight? After 15 hours straight?
I need some rest first.
Okay, can we leave
tomorrow morning?
You are really ready
to go home, huh?
I think we all miss our
little igloo back home.
Not you, too.
Even me.
Now that Dad was back,
everything felt right.
I was actually looking forward
to Joey's church service.
Kenny, you all right? Where's
your brother, where's Byron?
What? That sounded close!
Wilona! Robert! The baby!
Oh, no, no, no. You stay here with
your brother. You watch Kenny.
By? By! By!
By, where are you?
By, what happened?
Someone called and said
somebody bombed Joey's church!
By! By, wait!
By!
Joey!
Kenny! Where'd you go!
How'd you get back here so fast?
Where are Mom and Dad?
Joey?
You look so beautiful.
So beautiful.
What? Where's Momma and Daddy?
Such a beautiful angel.
I'm no angel... I'm a girl.
What's wrong with you, Kenny?
Beautiful girl, angel.
I knew you would be.
Kenny, please, stop playing!
We need to do something!
I'm sorry, Joey...
I just couldn't.
It almost got me.
It got you, too!
Stop acting crazy!
We have to go find everyone!
They may be looking for us!
I can't go back out there.
It might get me.
What, Kenny?
What might get you?
The Wooh Pooh.
The Wooh Pooh?
What are you talking about?
It was there, I saw it,
as big as the sky.
It was an explosion, no Wooh Pooh!
I'm sorry, Joey. I just...
I just couldn't do it.
Kenny, you're scaring me.
You and I both know that
bomb went off at the church.
Mommy and Daddy are
probably looking for us.
We have to go find them. Now!
It was the Wooh Pooh.
I told you he was real.
- Joey!
- Joey!
Joetta, are you all right?
I'm fine, but I think something
is wrong with Kenny.
After the church bombing, we couldn't
get out of Birmingham fast enough.
Grandma Sands and Mr. Robert
refused to come with us.
They said Birmingham was their home.
It was an issue of principle, they said.
Grandma Sands called a couple of times and
said the police didn't know who did it.
But everyone else had an idea
about who was responsible.
That bomb killed
four little girls...
blinded a couple more and sent a bunch
of other people to the hospital.
I couldn't stop wondering about that little
girl who's shoes I saw in the rubble.
I sure hope Kenny knows
how proud we are of him.
He's such a good boy,
and I love him so much.
He is such a brave boy.
Hey, check this out, Jack.
And there's another
one coming in, too.
I hadn't looked at myself
in a real, long time...
so maybe it was my reflection.
I'm not sure, but being
there with Byron...
it was like the flood gates opened up and all
the pain from the summer just poured out.
I'm sorry, Byron.
Just shut up and cry if you want.
Why would they do that, Byron?
Why would they hurt some
little girls like that?
I don't know, Mom and Dad said
they can't help themselves.
They said they did it because
they sick, but I don't know.
I ain't never heard of no sickness
that makes you kill little girls...
just because you don't
want them in your school.
I went to the church.
I saw what happened.
I saw one of the girls.
We all did, Kenny. There's nothing
wrong about being sad about that.
I mean, I'm sad about it.
I got real scared about it, too.
I should have saved her.
Nothing could have been done.
No way, no how.
I left that little girl.
I thought the Wooh
Pooh had her and...
Man, you ain't gonna start talking about
that Wooh Pooh mess again, are you?
I told you that the
Wooh Pooh was made up.
The only one I was fighting in that
water was your little, stupid behind.
There was no one else in
that water but you and me.
That's what you think.
But I know better.
I've seen him... twice.
Look, Kenny, if you don't stop
talking that Wooh Pooh mess...
I'mma leave you in here
to cry by yourself.
And there's no such thing
as magic powers, either.
You can't stay behind the couch
for the rest of your life.
But, By, I should have stayed at
the church... and looked for Joey.
Instead... I let the
Wooh Pooh scare me away.
I wasn't brave enough
to fight him like you.
And Joey was all right.
She came looking for you.
How can you believe in something...
something so stupid as magic powers
or genies living behind a couch?
But not believe that there was
something that saved Joey?
It's not fair what
happened to those girls.
Kenny, things in life
ain't ever gonna be fair.
You just gotta understand that's the
way it is, and keep on steppin'.
Here, man, blow your nose.
Wipe your face, it's about
time you cut this mess out.
Mom and Dad are starting to think
your little behind is on the blink.
And don't let me catch
you back there again.
You ain't got no cause
to be scared of nothing.
You smart enough to figure
this one out for yourself.
Besides, you're gettin' this
from the top dog himself.
You're gonna be all
right, baby bro.
Okay? You'll be all right.
Shoot, I sure wish I knew
who my real folks was.
There just ain't no way two folks
as ugly as your momma and daddy...
could ever have a
child as fine as me.
Is everything okay, Byron?
Kenny's cool. He's
related to me, ain't he?
Byron Watson, how many times am I gonna
have to tell you not to say ain't?
Everything all right, Kenny?
Hey, Poindexter...
watch yourself.
You hear me?
What, you deaf now?
Yeah, I heard you, Larry Dunn.
What?
Just say what you have to
say and leave me alone.
You can't hurt me.
Oh, you're gonna pay
for that after school.
Oh, yeah? Says who?
I thought you were a coward.
Look at you.
Today President Johnson signed
the Civil Rights legislation...
outlawing discrimination based
on race, religion and gender.
Thereby making segregation in schools or any
public place illegal across this nation.
Byron was wrong about there not being
anything like magic powers and genies.
There might not be magic powers like when
a magician pulls a rabbit out of a hat.
But the magic of love could
overcome injustice...
protect against fear
and heal any wound.
Hey, hey, hey.