Bumpy: The new world is here, my brothers.
Alone, I'm just Harlem.
Together, we're 10 Harlems.
They would turn down an order of 3,000 keys?
If we were to sell it to a negro,
they'd skin us alive.
What if I had an Italian partner?
He's got some kind of plan.
I know that fucker too well!
If the Sicilians don't want to sell to you,
my hands are tied.
I don't need the Five Families coming at me over heroin.
You could help me get the big fish that I'm after.
-That's snitching. -It's not snitching.
It's elimination of the competition.
Chin ain't one for diplomacy.
A real diplomat
is someone who can slice his neighbor's throat
and he doesn't see it coming.
I don't give a rat's ass about your 10 Harlems.
I'm not gonna partner up with you.
Not now, not ever.
I hate you, too, Chin.
But this is in our mutual interest.
They say Liston's great, but he must fall in eight,
Brother Minister.
Does Cassius know you intend on using him
to get yourself back into the Nation?
I am here for support.
Cassius, I'm guilty, brother.
I've thought to use you
to convince the Dear Holy Apostle to reinstate me.
I don't see him here, do you?
Stella, we're gonna forget
about everything bad that has happened.
I hate you!
My father said he punished Benny.
-Did he kill him? -He sent him to Florida.
You'll never fuckin' see him again.
I'm selling out of 10 Harlems,
and you're gonna get a 20% cut.
50-50.
I ought to kick your ass!
♪
Equal partners.
[ Panting ]
Alright. [ Sighs ]
Alright.
♪
Yeah, thank you, my man.
Junie's around the corner. Yep.
[ Sniffs ]
[ Chuckles ]
♪
[ Engine starts ]
Be safe, baby.
♪
Had to make sure nothing's missing.
[ Sighs ]
♪ Crack of dawn I had a pocket full of heroin ♪
♪ I made a name, I'm talking Harlem back to Maryland ♪
Still got a dozen boxes downstairs.
Maybe I'll buy you dinner tonight.
Oh, yeah? Oh, yeah.
Smothered chops and some onion.
-You got it, alright? -And a biscuit!
How about two? And two!
Two biscuits and some gravy.
And a piece of red velvet?
Red velvet cake. [ Laughing ]
I'm mixing that up for you right now.
[ Laughs ]
♪
Hi, Cecil. Hey, Cecil.
Hey.
Man: Come again.
[ Horns honking ]
There you go.
[ "My Guy" playing ]
♪
♪ There's nothing you could say ♪
♪ To tear me away from my guy
[ Whistle blowing ]
♪ There's nothing you could do
♪ 'Cause I'm stuck like glue to my guy ♪
♪ I'm stickin' to my guy...
What's this mess?
I'm updating the Harlem voter rolls for Congressman Powell.
Maybe I should get you an office.
You know, there has been a concerted effort
in this city to make it harder
for Black, Hispanic, and poor people to vote.
You surprised?
No. I'm angry.
They disqualify our votes
for the most arbitrary reasons.
Making sure our votes count
is Reverend Powell's pet cause.
Well, I thought you were his pet cause.
Please.
[ Chuckles ]
Here's my contribution to the registration drive.
Oh, sorry. It's slippery.
-Here you go. -Oh, would you go on?
♪ With my guy
This is... 10 grand.
Wow.
This will fund our whole operation.
Hmm.♪ He's the cream of the crop
I guess things are going well with you and Mr. Gigante.
Yep. Let's hope it holds.
Since we've been back,
we've had dinner at home every night,
and I have a relaxed and happy man.
It better hold.
You were right.
This partnership with Chin
makes it safe for us in Harlem.
[ Door opens ]
Elise: Praise Allah, we made it.
What's wrong? You okay?
Come here. Mom!
White cops came out of nowhere
and started beating on a bunch of kids.
My friends.
This Black boy reaches for an apple,
and they assume that he's stealing it.
♪
Man: Hey!
Hey.
What are you doing? What are y'all doing? Police!
It's just an apple.
Help!
♪
They busted him in his head, like to break his skull.
It was horrible.
Why would they start beating on a bunch of kids?
'Cause they were Black.
Woman: Leave him alone!
Like Malcolm said,
the police are at war with our community.
They are an occupying army.
A hundred years ago, the Klan wore white sheets.
Well, in Harlem, they dress in blue.
Did they touch either one of you?
No, but they beat Cecil.
Hey, stop. What's going on?
♪
Aah!
Daddy, Daddy, you gotta do something.
Come on, baby.
[ Cries ]
♪
♪ Yeah
♪ Change
♪ Ye-e-e-e-e-ah
♪ Open up my window again
♪ I can hear death callin' my name ♪
♪ I can hear death callin' again ♪
♪ I swear to God, things ain't gon' change ♪
♪ I keep a revolver with your name ♪
♪ Just in case
[ Rapping ] ♪ Lay on my back watchin' the ceilin' fan ♪
♪ I had a dream to touch a kilo gram ♪
♪ Still at odds with the Irish mob ♪
♪ Rolls-Royce down Malcolm X Boulevard ♪
♪ Lord, these...literally out here preyin' on me ♪
♪ Got the .40 on me and his hand on me ♪
♪ Snow-white mink like I'm Dutch Schultz ♪
♪ Run the books and let me show you how the numbers look ♪
♪ You can't be Lucky like you Luciano ♪
♪ The kilos slammin' like they new pianos ♪
♪ And Fat Boy got the big body
♪ Coast-to-coast, I could shoot product ♪
♪ Open up my window again
♪ I can hear death callin' my name ♪
♪ I can hear death callin' again ♪
♪ I swear to God, things ain't gon' change ♪
♪ I keep a revolver with your name ♪
♪ Just in case
♪ I tried to be
[ Sighs ]
♪ All that I could never be
I hear those damn racist police beat those kids
and that old shoeshine man half to death.
♪ I build myself
This police force was not created to serve
Black Americans.
It was created to police Black Americans
while serving white Americans.
-They at the hospital? -The hospital?
Cassius, they were arrested
and taken to the 27th Precinct.
♪ A lie
What you gonna do, brother?
I'd like to firebomb their asses...
♪ ...days
...but I'm already on suspension.
♪ Baby, don't you know
This is the crux...
of my disagreement with the Messenger.
We have an obligation
to respond not only directly,
but even violently to white oppression.
Brother Malcolm, I hope you and the Dear Holy Apostle
can patch things up, I truly do.
♪ I stood and watched
Well, it's funny you say that, Cassius,
because he's in New York today and we have a meeting.
Now, I am intending to say I have your support.
♪ Now I know
I know you've been getting calls, Cassius,
from Captain Henry and the others
to stay away from me.
♪ Never giving up
But here you are.
I can't shun the man who gave me my chosen name.
Cassius X. Cassius X.
♪ You see, now I know
♪ There's cloudy days
[ Film projector clicking ]
Alright, what is this shit?
Enough, alright? What's this about?
There's a million dollars to be made here.
I mean, they got three
great natural resources in Florida --
tits, ass, and oranges.
I brought you a bag.
Thank you.
They're called loops.
They're made on the cheap.
They run them day and night with the peep shows.
Benny, come on.
That's not me. I-I don't do this shit.
You do this kinda thing.
Our whole lives with the girls and the fuckin' weird shit.
Come on. That's not me.
I don't like pornography. You know that.
It's a perversion.
Bonanno's gettin' richer off this stuff,
and we're on the sidelines.
What the fuck do I care about Bonanno?
He's a fuckin' degenerate.
What the fuck is he doing here?
Hey, nice to see you, too, asshole.
Ain't he meant to be in Florida?
Well, he paid his debt, and I needed him here.
Look. He brought us beautiful oranges.
Can I talk to you a sec?
Yeah.
What about Stella?
What about her?
She ain't gonna be happy he's back.
Hey, are you fuckin' talkin' about me?
-I'm sittin' right here. -Easy.
Go fuck yourself.
No. You do not say that. He's a made man.
You do not disrespect. You understand me?
That's right. You understand?
Hey, you're on a short leash, too.
♪
Look, I can get along with Bumpy Johnson
and you guys can't work this out?
Come on!
And this fuckin' thing.
You've been a nooch to me since we were teenagers.
Look, you know what?
The two of you -- you -- you make these, uh...
Loops. ...loops.
You do it together.
Alright? The two of you.
Come on. Shake.
I mean, why not?
Anything that gets on Bonanno's nerves is --
-is alright by me. -There you go.
Now take this fuckin' thing down.
Come on. Hold up.
The -- The best part's coming up.
Come on. Get outta here.
Watch.
[ Siren wailing ]
Pick it up!
Man over radio: 10-35 on New York registration...
Let me reiterate
that I am not a criminal defense attorney.
Just follow my lead. Come on.
What do you want?
We're here about Cecil Bradley
and the kid from the fruit stand.
This is Archie Gaines.
He's the attorney in that matter.
Uh, yes. I am temporarily of counsel for Mr. Bradley.
I can't help you.
He has the constitutional right to an attorney.
Not if he hasn't been charged yet.
He does if he's been held for over two hours,
on the New York civil penal code 25462.
I guess you'd know all about the penal codes
in New York City, huh?
Heard a lot about you, Johnson.
I'm hoping we can keep everything civil.
Heard a lot about you, too, Mills.
How can I help you?
We wanna see Cecil Bradley and the kids.
I heard they got busted up pretty badly.
Yeah. Injured resisting arrest.
They're down in the basement.
Can we see them?
Be my guest.
♪
These are the arch-criminals who started the riot?
They're part of the Blood Brothers gang.
One of them just got out of Wiltwyck
for assaulting a 90-year-old lady.
Where's Cecil?
♪
[ Breathing raggedly ]
Bumpy.
♪
Gonna get you out of here.
♪
Stay strong.
♪
He needs medical attention.
He's got a bandage.
What is he being charged with?
Resisting arrest.
What was he arrested for?
Inciting a riot.
What does a shoeshine man have to do with starting a riot?
He grabbed an officer's baton.
He's gonna die if he doesn't get help soon.
And if he does, it's on you.
What did you say?
He dies...
it's on you.
Bumpy, please. Let's go.
♪
I had no idea.
You had no idea negroes get their asses kicked
and thrown in jail for doing nothing?
Cops up in Sugar Hill don't do that, huh?
[ Telephone ringing ]
[ Horn honks in distance ]
Olympia: Look at this.
Nice eggs over easy,
some beautiful fresh bacon,
fresh-squeezed orange juice.
Thanks.
You're welcome.
See anything you might want?
Personally, I think the styles today --
they make all the women look like whores.
But if you see something you want,
maybe I take you shopping.
If I go shopping, I can do it myself.
Okay.
Your food's gonna get cold, Stella.
Sorry, I just had a bad dream last night.
About?
Nothing.
Look, Stella, I'm not the enemy here, okay?
I mean, you can talk to me.
Your father and I, we just -- we want you to be happy,
but you're walking around with this frown on your face,
and quite frankly, it's getting goddamn depressing.
I dreamt Teddy was alive, and I was dead.
W-Well, okay.
That is depressing.
That is horrible.
And I am sorry.
It's okay. It was comforting.
'Cause it felt right.
I wish it were true.
Stella.
Look...
when my mother died, I was so depressed.
So depressed.
But you know how I got myself out of it?
I focused on all the little things.
You know, like... I don't know.
Maybe I bought a dress or a walk in the park.
And even something like a nice glass of...
fresh-squeezed orange juice.
Just the little things.
Pull you right out.
♪
[ Lighter clicks ]
♪
Malcolm X: Dear Holy Apostle, I'm glad to see
you've made it safely to New York.
I see you're doing well for yourself.
Hobnobbing with leaders of African nations,
with Cassius Clay on your arm like a prized trophy.
Messenger, I'm preparing Cassius to be on the world stage
to help spread your message.
You say it's all for me, but you're the one
with your picture in the papers with Cassius.
Well, I believed in Cassius when no one else did.
You yourself didn't think he'd beat Liston.
And you bring him to me like a gift?
How generous.
And what is the price of this gift?
Dear Holy Apostle, I am hoping...
[ Horns honk in distance ]
...that you'd reinstate me to my former position
at Temple Number Seven
to do your bidding and to serve the Nation.
Cassius supports this, I might add.
Are you willing to renounce
the political nature of your rhetoric?
This is what brought us to this point
in the first place.
With all due respect, Dear Holy Apostle,
how do we as an organization
fight for justice for the Black man?
Are you interested in rejoining the Nation of Islam?
With all my heart.
[ Sighs ]
Bring Cassius this afternoon.
I want to welcome him to the Nation.
And if you will cease and desist from the politics,
I'll welcome you back as well.
♪
I've contacted the mothers of the kids who were arrested,
and, of course, Cecil's wife.
Mm.
Those cops need to see the faces of those women,
see the personal devastation their brutality creates.
Now, I think we should --Congressman Powell.
It's fine, Patricia. Mr. Johnson's welcome.
Come on in, Bumpy.
Hello.
Sorry for interrupting, but there's a problem.
Bumpy, please have a seat.
Your wife is helping me
organize a sit-in at the 27th Precinct.
We ain't got time for no sit-in. Cecil's gonna die.
We gotta call somebody to get him out of there right now.
Call who? The Chief of Police?
The Mayor? The -- The D.A.?
I already have,
and they all tell me the same thing.
This is a police matter.
Which is why we need to activate the entire community.
The city government refuses to intercede
on account of the fact that Harlem is
a "violent, crime-infested neighborhood."
Haven't you seen the paper this morning?
A fruit stand gets knocked over in Harlem,
they call it a riot.
The fact is, if this were a federal matter,
I might have some pull.
We don't got time for no sit-ins, alright?
Bumpy, you of all people know
justice looks differently at the Black man
than it does the White one.
There's also another kind of justice.
Street justice.
Good luck with your sit-in.
[ Sighs ]
[ Door slams ]
[ Horns honking ]
Hey!
Yo. You like orange juice?
This morning, my stepmom made me a nice glass
of fresh-squeezed orange juice.
What the fuck do you want me to say, Stella?
You said he was in Florida.
Your father wanted him back.
So, that's his fuckin' punishment for killing Teddy?
Is three months in Miami?
I don't make the fuckin' rules.
I want you to kill him.
[ Laughs ]
Oh, my God.
Hey. You've killed people before.
You killed Lionel.
I'll pay you whatever you want.
You talkin' like a fuckin' crazy person.
You understand that? You're fuckin' insane.
You're just too chicken shit.
Maybe I'll do it myself.
Oh, you think it's easy to kill someone, huh?
Must be, if you can do it.
It ain't as simple as pulling a trigger, Stell.
You gotta watch someone's brains roll
all the way over a fuckin' wall.
It gets in your nose, it gets in your mouth.
At night, you relive it.
When you sleep, you think about it.
It's a fuckin' nightmare.
You forget, I'm my father's daughter.
[ Door opens ]
♪
Hey, sweetheart.
Come on, fucko. We gotta get to work.
♪
[ Seagull squawks ]
[ Ship horn blowing ]
These Blood Brothers
are tearing apart the neighborhood.
First of all, they're not Blood Brothers.
They're kids from my daughter's school
-who stole an apple. -I hear one of them
raped and murdered a 90-year-old lady.
That's bullshit.
One of them did a bit at Wiltwyck for robbery.
My man Cecil -- he never murdered nobody
and he's about to die.
My daughter almost got attacked by this cop.
You know, I pay these guys not to fuck with me.
That doesn't give me the right to fuck with their business.
How much is the payoff on Mills?
The pad's $1,000 a month.
Here's $2,000.
Get him to release Cecil and the kids.
Nah. I can't.
What are you afraid of?
That they're gonna call you a nigger-lover?
Is that what you're afraid of?
No. I'm not afraid of that.
So, help me out, then.
Or this business arrangement's gonna be over
before it even gets started.
♪
How's he doing?
♪
Not good.
Pain in my ass.
♪
How is she?
She's okay.
Sleeping. Still shaken up, though.
I may keep her home from school tomorrow.
[ Horns honking in distance ]
Of course. Muslims don't drink.
No, but to be honest, I could really use one.
No.
Well, thank God you were there to protect her.
You have been such a godsend to Margaret.
What?
Nothing.
It's just, I have seen my share of violence.
I was so terrified they would come after Margaret and me.
When they hit poor Cecil, I covered her eyes
so she wouldn't see the blood pouring from his head.
And as I held her, I could feel her body shaking,
and she was crying, "Momma, Momma,"
crying for her mother.
And I wanted to tell her, "I'm right here.
Your momma's right here." But I couldn't, could I?
You did the right thing.
By lying to her?
You think she wasn't traumatized enough?
You want to add to it by blowing up her world?
She's already seeing the world for what it is.
Is it fair to let her live with a lie?
Is that what you think this is?
Well, then, fine. Go ahead.
Walk in there. Wake her up.
Tell her you were a drug addict for 10 years,
and you couldn't take care of her,
and you don't know who her daddy is,
and everyone and everything she thought she knew was a lie.
♪
She's going to find out.
Because the truth comes out eventually.
And when it does...
let's just hope she doesn't end up hating us both.
♪
[ Squeals softly ]
-You're welcome. -Thank you.
I need your help. I need you to get some men
and make some noise down by the Precinct.
Bumpy, I haven't been reinstated,
though I expect that'll happen by the end of the day.
We don't have till the end of the day.
Cecil will be dead by then.
Mr. Johnson, the Dear Holy Apostle
forbids responding with violence.
He wants people to understand that Islam is peace.
We have to think carefully
about which battles we focus on.
What you always been sayin' about
if a dog bites you, you gotta bite him back?
About defending ourselves against white oppression?
This is self defense we been talking about!
-Calm down, brother. -No, you calm down!
Man, I know what this shit is.
You don't wanna piss off Elijah Muhammad.
He's more interested in his money
than he is about these people
getting beat up in the streets.
The Messenger is against provoking
the white power structure only until we are truly ready.
When are we gonna be ready?
How many negroes gotta die
before we take it to these ofay motherfuckers?
The cops -- they're just like Sonny Liston.
They underestimate us.
We're gonna make 'em pay.
One steak for the world champion.
Thank you.
You been Elijah Muhammad's man for a long time.
When you gonna have the guts to be your own man?
Enjoy your steak.
[ Knock on door ]
Who is it? Uncle Louie.
Come in.
Just came by to check in.
I'm doing fine.
Y-Your father asked me to drop in every once in a while.
It's okay. I'm not gonna kill myself.
No.
I'm here so you have someone to confide in.
Tell me how you're doing.
Fine.
Yeah?
You seem troubled.
Please, Stella.
I'm here to listen.
Okay.
You really wanna know what I'm thinking?
I'm gonna kill someone.
He works for my father.
He murdered my boyfriend in cold blood,
and the police won't do anything about it
because my father owns the police.
Stella, I remind you of the sixth Commandment.
Is that the one about not screwing your neighbor's wife?
Thou shalt not kill.
How does that one work, "Father"?
Or should I say "Uncle"?
'Cause we both know my father has killed plenty of people.
Your father will be judged by God
when it's his time,
and so will you.
In the end,
only God can administer true justice.
Then I guess my father will burn in Hell.
I don't know what the big fuckin' deal is.
Just get the guy a doctor.
If I called a doctor every time a nigger
came in with a busted head,
they'd have to call the place Saint Mary's.
These people are savages, okay?
They're fuckin' animals.
Well, even animals deserve medical attention.
I checked on him myself.
He's got a fucked-up eye, but he's gonna be fine.
Every criminal tries to play the victim.
-They're all the same. -I'm not asking you.
I'm telling you to shut your fuckin' mouth and do it.
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
What are you gettin' all bent out of shape about, huh?
I'm doing a favor for a friend.
Who?
What the fuck business is that of yours?
Jesus.
[ Chuckles ]
This is all starting to make sense now.
Bumpy Johnson -- he came down to the station
asking the same thing.
You're in business together.
No, we ain't. Yeah.
It's you guys flooding the streets
with all that dope, isn't it?
Huh? There's fucking junkies
falling all over themselves for that shit.
And you're getting a piece of that,
you greedy fuckin' bastard.
Now, are you gonna do this for me or not?
♪
I don't do favors for your nigger friends.
But I will make sure I get my cut when I see him.
I'll bet you fucking will.
[ Spits ]
Fuckin' piece of shit.
Benny: Here she comes.
Leopard skin, jacket, whatever.
We'll take that off. Jacket off.
Take the jacket off. Not too fast.
Yeah.
Yeah, nice. Yeah, look at me.
Yeah, that's right.
You're thinking of a gorgeous guy
you're gonna do. A guy like me.
Ernie, get the fuckin' light on her here!
What the fuck, man? What are you, stupid?
Get the light on her.
Alright, yeah. Now take off your bra.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Take it off.
Yeah, nice and slow.
Yeah, touch your ta-tas.
Get that -- Oh, yeah.
That's great. That's great.
Ernie, get the fuckin' -- get the fuckin' light on her!
What the --It's on her. It's on her.
-What is wrong with you?! -Oh, my God.
-Get the light on her. -Fuckin' light is on her, Benny. Look.
Okay, baby. Alright.
Lick your lips.
You're a star. Yeah.
Alright. Oh, god damn.
I ran out of fuckin' -- ran out of film.
Shit.
Alright, let's take a 5-minute break.
Ernie, why don't you go get some sandwiches,
and bring me a fuckin' water, you lazy piece of shit?
Why don't you get it yourself?
Excuse me?
I said, "Why don't you get 'em yourself,"
you fuckin' asshole?
You disrespecting me in front of her?
Benny, put the gun away.
I'll do whatever I want.
What are you gonna do about it?
Huh? You're a made guy.
I got nothing to say.
That's right.
You know, 'cause of this fuckin' guy, you know,
I spent three fuckin' months in Florida
'cause I had to clean up his mess.
Instead of kissing my ass, he disrespects me.
And on top of that, his girlfriend's
available now because of me.
Isn't that right, lover boy?
She ain't my fuckin' girlfriend.
Everybody knows you got the hots for Stella.
Otherwise, killing a jigaboo wouldn't bother you at all.
♪
[ Indistinct conversations ]
Meeting you here the last few weeks
has been good for my soul.
It's nice to be able to talk about Teddy.
Mm.
Can I get you any food?
No. Thanks.
Listen, Delia,
the man who killed him is back in town.
He's walking around free,
and the cops won't do anything about it.
My father -- he won't do anything.
Take a look.
My dad has 'em lying all over the house.
What you gonna do with that thing?
I'm gonna get justice for your son.
Are you out of your mind?
Enough people seem to think so.
Why you showing this to me?
I wanted you to know.
You asking my permission?
I don't want to know nothing about this.
You don't have to do this, and certainly not for me.
Sometimes I feel like
I've been grieving my whole life.
So many I know have died or suffered,
including my own son.
But nothing would ever prompt me
to take a life.
God will get justice.
It's in His hands, not ours.
♪
Daddy, I'm glad you picked me up today.
Me too.
How's Cecil?
[ Sighs ] I'm working on it.
He's gonna be okay?
Yeah, I saw him yesterday.
[ Horn honks ]
-Bumpy Johnson. -Captain.
Been looking all over for you.
I hear you're in business with Chin Gigante.
I don't discuss business in front of my daughter.
Yeah, well, here's the thing.
There's a pad for Chin,
and then there's a nigger pad,
and that one's a whole helluva lot more.
Get Cecil out of that cell, then we can talk about that.
Yeah. That's not how it works, Johnson.
Daddy, can we go?
Hey. I'm talking here.
Didn't your father ever tell you it's rude to interrupt?
It's okay.
What's your name?
Margaret.
Margaret? That's a white girl's name.
You don't talk to my daughter like that!
-Hey! -What's wrong with you?!
Don't you get uppity with me. Frisk him.
♪
Possession of a weapon.
♪
This'll get you three to five.
Minimum.
That's a close shave, Johnson.
♪
You bring me my pad.
Today.
$3,000.
♪
It's okay.
[ Engine starts ] Let's go home, alright?
Let's go home.
[ Siren wailing ]
Bumpy: Give me Mills.
I can't do that.
Come on. Just -- Just his address.
What? Kill a cop over this?
I can't do it.
I ain't talking about killing a cop.
Just making things even.
Look, the guy's an asshole, okay?
He figured out that you and I are doing business.
Is this -- What do you want? He's a dirty cop.
Put yourself in my shoes.
You have a daughter.
You're walking down the street, and a cop rolls up
and terrorizes you in front of her.
How would that make you feel?
For him to call you a "filthy wop" in front of her
and run a blade across your neck?
A Black man faces that
every time he walks down the street.
Just for a minute,
can you put your fuckin' self
in my fuckin' shoes?
[ Indistinct conversations ]
Oh, my goodness. Ring the bell.
The champion has arrived.
Dear Holy Apostle, it is my great honor
to present to you Cassius X.
I am so pleased to have you with us.
Come now. No need for that.
Rise.
The privilege is mine, Holy Apostle.
By Malcolm's council and by my faith --
Calm yourself, son.
Come sit and have some tea.
♪
[ Laughs ]
Ah, what perfect examples both of you are.
Whenever you look at a Black man,
you are looking at God.
Now, it's time to discard your slave name.
Are you willing and ready to accept one
of Allah's pure and righteous names?
Brother Malcolm has bestowed me with the name Cassius X.
[ Chuckling ]
Malcolm does not choose your name.
I do.
And I have chosen...
"Muhammad Ali"... which means
beloved of God, most high champion.
[ Horns honking in distance ]
It is a most worthy name, Holy Apostle.
Muhammad Ali.
I like it.
[ Chuckling ]
How else can I help guide you, my son?
Asking good questions is half of learning.
Holy Apostle, I've been struggling
about how to stand up against the abuse
of the negro by police.
You see, I'm a fighter. I want to fight back.
You have a hunger for justice.
Those cops beating up those kids at that fruit stand?
Makes me wanna scream.
I see Malcolm has influenced you.
Brother Minister fails to realize
that though it feels good to scream
and yell when atrocities are done,
those shouts are distractions
that can do more harm than good.
Malcolm, you've been asked to atone
for your disobedience once.
I am willing to embrace you,
but you must silence yourself on these issues.
You will either follow my hand
or you will be out on your own.
♪
[ Knock on door ]
♪
May I come in? Mm-hmm.
♪
We missed you at dinner.
I wasn't hungry.
Everything okay? You good?
What did you do today?
Met some girlfriends for lunch.
Oh, yeah? Is that it?
'Cause I heard you ran into Benny at the clubhouse.
And I know -- I know that could upset you.
So, I wanted to explain.
He here's,
and he has a special job to do for me,
and then when that's done,
I'm gonna send him back to Florida, alright?
Yeah.
'Cause he must really hate it there, right?
Stella.
The best thing for all concerned
is to put this thing behind us, you know?
Of course.
[ Sniffles ]
I never even think about Teddy anymore.
Is that true?
Yeah.
Yeah, one day, I'll meet a nice Italian boy,
and I'll be happy.
You'll be happy.
We'll probably just laugh about all this.
Yeah.
I don't know if we'll laugh about it.
Did you talk to Father Louis today?
'Cause he's very helpful with things like this, you know?
♪
God will punish the wicked, he says, when we're dead.
♪
I guess we'll both just have to live with that.
♪
[ Sighs ]
♪
Alright.
♪
Yeah, I've...
I just want you to be happy, you know?
I know.
Alright.
[ Door closes ]
♪
[ Drawer slides open ]
♪
[ Indistinct conversations ]
Alright, come on in.
Just gather on each side here.
Thank you, Sister. Thank you.
I'm here to see the Captain.
That would be me.
Captain, we are here to demand justice
for those that you arrested
at the so-called riot of the fruit stand.
We understand that some may be in need of medical attention.
Congressman Powell, they'll be released
when the prosecutor has determined the charges.
I'm sorry, Captain, that's not good enough.
We've gathered the mothers of these boys
to protest this injustice,
and I've got a photographer from "The New York Times"
to make sure you play nice. Hmm.
We're not leaving until they get medical attention.
You have every legal right to express your point of view,
but you can't get in the way of police business.
Because if you do, I'm gonna arrest you, too.
Oh, so be it.
Looks like we'll be in for a long evening.
[ Clapping rhythmically ]
♪ Oh, freedom
Lift your voices.
[ Camera shutter clicks ]
♪ Oh, freedom over me
♪ Over me
♪ And before I'd be a slave
♪ I'd be buried in my grave
♪ And go home to my Lord and be free ♪
♪
Hey. Whoa. Come on. Sweetheart.
What -- What -- What is this?
What the fuck is this?
Baby doll, give me the -- give me the gun.
We're not gonna have a fuckin' problem here.
This is for Teddy, you fuckin' asshole.
♪
What did you do to me, you fuckin' bitch?!
You bitch!
What the fuck?
What the fuck did you do?!
Shoot her!
You're a fuckin' witch, you know that?!
Do you understand what you just fuckin' did?!
Shoot her!
I'm ordering you to shoot her!
[ Breathing heavily ]
♪
What are you doing?
No! No!
♪
God damn you, Stella.
♪
Fuck!
Fuck! Fuck!
♪
♪ Oh, freedom
♪ Oh, freedom over me
♪ Over me
You gonna let these niggers occupy our station?
♪ I'll be buried in my grave
♪ And go home to my Lord and be free ♪
I am sick of this happy horseshit singing.
-One more time. -Clear 'em out.
♪ Oh, freedom
♪ Oh, freedom Officer: Alright.
♪ Oh, freedom over me
♪ Oh, freedom
Ellsworth?
Bumpy. Malcolm.♪ Over me, over me
♪ And before I'd be a slave
♪ I'd be buried in my grave
♪ And go home to my Lord and be free ♪
♪ Oh, freedom
You here to sit in, "Brother Malcolm"?
Oh, no, we're not here to sit in.
We came to stand up.
Mm. You, too?
♪ I'll be buried in my grave Nah.
I'm just here to bring you this.
♪ And go home to my Lord
Thank you.
♪ And be free
What the fuck is this?
♪ Oh, freedom
An eye for an eye, motherfucker.
♪ Oh, freedom
♪ Oh, freedom over me
[ Dialing ]
[ Telephone rings ]
Hello?[ Child whimpering ]
Man #2: Hello, Captain.
Who the fuck is this?
I'm the nigger Bumpy Johnson sent
to watch over your wife and kids.
[ Muffled speech ]
Heard enough?
I'll be babysitting.
♪
[ Dial tone ]
♪
I wanna see you back on your street corner next week.
Alright? Alright.
You're gonna be okay.
Thank you, Bumpy.
Okay, lift.
-Thank you, Daddy. -Of course, little one.
♪
Bumpy, it seems our method of peaceful protest
really got the job done.
I don't know what was said in there,
but I want to thank you for your support.
I guess moral persuasion has its benefits.
Mm, yes, it does.
Brother Malcolm.
Moral persuasion, huh?
[ Both chuckle softly ]
♪
♪ Oh, freedom
♪ Freedom over me
♪ And before I'd be a slave
♪ I'll be buried in my grave
♪ And go home to my Lord and be free ♪