-
{Derrick's Brother}
It's hard to look back and see the truth
-
about people you love. I think if you ask
-
Derrick why it all went the way it did and
-
where it all started, he'd still say it
-
started when our father was murdered.
{Laughing}
-
But the truth is, it started earlier.
-
{Derrick's Father}
Alright. Are we all meeting together for
-
the game tonight? Yes. Definitely.
-
{Derrick's Father}
Alright. Thensberger at 7 o'clock, then we
-
go watch the big guy play. Okay, yeah.
-
Siking up for the game? {Derrick}
Oh yeah, I'm
-
always ready for that. I got it. I got an
-
English exam third period and I'm gonna
-
have a heart attack. I'm not ready.
{Derrick's Father} What's
-
the matter, afraid you're going to get a
-
B? {Laughing} Might do you good. B minus.
-
Whoooo. {Derrick} Don't laugh.
I'm telling you this
-
guy is different. Dr. Sweeney, this guy is
-
unbelievable. Unbelievable. I've never had
-
a teacher like this. He's got
like 2 PHD's.
-
I don't know what he's doing teaching
at our school. He's not
-
like other teachers.
-
{Derrick's Father}
What's he got you reading?
-
{Derrick}
We got this essay exam on this book
-
Native Son. All on this one book.
{Derrick's Father} Native
-
Son, what's that? I don't know that.
-
{Derrick's Mother} That's a big surprise.
{Derrick's Father} What, I read.
-
{Derrick's Mother} Honey, they don't
teach Tom Clancy at
-
school. Well, they don't.
{Derrick's Father}So, so what is
-
this Native Son. {Derrick} What is
it? It's this
-
thing. It's like this book about, this
-
black guy. We're doing this whole black
-
literature unit, you know?
{Derrick's Father} What is it
-
black history month? {Derrick}
No, it's just like
-
this guy Sweeney, you know. It's part of
-
the course now. Yeah. What?
{Derrick's Father} Nothing, it's
-
just you know, it's everywhere I look now.
-
{Derrick} What? {Derrick's Father}This affirmative
black action. {Derrick's Mother}Honey, a
-
few new books doesn't qualify as an
-
affirmative black action. {Derrick's Father}
Hey, read the
-
book, ace the guy's test. Just don't
-
swallow everything he feeds you whole.
-
You know he's got you seeing it on the
-
evening news. {Derrick} I know, but like
what? {Derrick's Father} All
-
this stuff about making everything equal.
It's not that simple.
-
Look, now you got this book, Native Son,
-
what happened to the other books in the
-
course? Are they not any good anymore
-
because Mr. 2 PHD's
-
says they are? Huh? You gotta trade in
-
great books for black books. Does that
-
make sense? Huh? You gotta question these
-
things Derrick. You gotta look at the whole
-
picture. You know we're talking about
-
books here. But I'm also talking about my
-
job. I got two black guys on my squad now,
-
who got their job over a couple of white
-
guys who actually scored higher on the
-
test. Does that make sense? Huh? Yeah.
-
Sure. Everything's equal now, but I got
-
two guys watching my back responsible for
-
my life, who aren't as good as two other
-
guys. They only got the job because they
-
were black. Not because they were the
-
best. {Derrick} That sucks.
{Derrick's Father} Yeah. Is that what
-
America's about? No, America's about,
-
best man for the job. You do your best,
-
you get the job. None of this affirmative
-
action crap. I don't know what that's
-
about. Its like some hidden agenda or
-
something going on. Do you see what I'm
-
saying? {Derrick} Yeah, I do.
I don't know. I didn't
-
think about it like that. Well, this guy
though, I don't know,
-
well the way he comes on so strong, it's
-
kind of hard not to listen to him, but I
-
don't know, maybe some of what he says is
-
kind of, {Derrick's Father} It's bull shit. {Derrick} Yeah.
Yeah, maybe. {Derrick's Father} No, No.
-
It's nigger bull shit. You see that, don't
-
you? {Derrick} Yeah. You gotta
watch out for that.
-
{Derrick} Yeah, I know.
I get what you're saying.
-
I will. {Derrick's Father} Good boy!
I'm proud of ya. Don't
-
worry about it.
