07x07 - God Bless the Child

[bunniefuu]

Get out of here!

Her name is Charnelle.

She never knew her father.

Her mother just
disappeared last year,

and her brother overdosed
on dr*gs three months ago.

Now she's living
with her grandmother,

who loves her very much,

but doesn't have any
idea how to talk to her.

So Charnelle is terribly angry.

Yes, but she's
something else, too.

She's a survivor, and
she just needs somebody

to help her find that out.

Charnelle.

You miss one more day,

they'll kick you
right out of school.

Who cares?

I'm gonna be a rap star,
and I'm gonna make it.

You can't even make
it to the tenth grade.

You gonna pull out a Bible

and start preaching
like my grandma?

Your grandma's a nice lady.

You treat her bad, girl.

She's all you got.

I got my music.

Man, just get out my face.

I got as much right as
you do to take this bus.

I ain't waiting for no bus.

Well, I'm going to the
library to finish my essay.

What essay?

Charnelle, it's due tomorrow.

We got to go to the
museum and... Hey.

- I got business to do.
- Charnelle,

you shouldn't be doing
business with Lamont.

Renee, that ain't
none of your business!

Charnelle!

You were supposed

to come straight
home after school.

I know, Grandma, but
something came up.

I got to go.

Where?

To the museum.

I got to write a essay.

Tell her about the essay, Renee.

Hey, Mrs. Bishop.

Everybody's supposed to find
a piece of themselves in history

and do the research
at the museum.

See, I'm telling the truth.

Well, maybe you'd
like to tell me the truth

about what happened
to those $20 bills

I had in my purse this morning.

I don't know nothing about that.

I want you to swear
to me on this Bible

you didn't take my money.

Okay.

I swear.

You think I'm stupid.

You think because
my eyes are bad

I can't see what's going on?

But if I catch you
smoking marijuana

one more time... Come on.

I got errands, and I want
make sure you get off

at that museum.

Get on the bus.

Out of my damn way.

That is one very
angry young woman.

- My assignment?
- Yeah.

There must be a lot

of pain and loneliness
underneath all of that attitude.

Well, the only reason
that she's walking

into this museum is to
make a drug connection.

She has no intention
of going in here

to research a school essay.

Oh, I think I know what this is.

Yeah.

It's gonna be
hard on her, but...

she has to see it.

Tess said she's a survivor.

Oh, she is.

But the dr*gs that
she's about to buy,

they don't know that.

Charnelle could be
dead by midnight.

♪ When you walk ♪

♪ Down the road ♪

♪ Heavy burden ♪

♪ Heavy load ♪

♪ I will rise ♪

♪ And I will walk with you ♪

♪ I'll walk with you ♪

♪ Till the sun
don't even shine ♪

♪ Walk with you ♪

♪ Every time, I tell you ♪

♪ I'll walk with you ♪

♪ Walk with you ♪

♪ Believe me, I'll
walk with you. ♪

Give me a break, Lamont.

What could I do?

My grandma was
standing right there.

You know what she's like?

I mean... Yeah, I got the money.

Okay, one hour.

There's a bench
near the entrance.

I'll be sitting there.

And hurry; I'm running low.

How am I supposed to compete
with headphones and rap music?

Look at me.

Why would she listen to me?

Well... she probably won't.

But she might
listen to Lady Day.

♪ Ooh, ooh, ooh ♪

Do you mind?

Huh?

Oh, hello.

I'm Monica.

Charnelle, isn't it?

How'd you know that?

Says so on your backpack.

What are you listening to?

Something tells me
this ain't your style.

Oh, yeah? Give
us a listen, then.

Oh!

Oh.

It's terribly angry, isn't it?

It tells the truth, lady.

So does mine. Billie Holiday.

Never heard of him.

She was a woman.

A jazz singer.

Look, I got to go.

I got homework.

Give me that back.

I thought you had
homework to do.

That's my last joint!

- Give...
- Good.

Hey, give that back!

I will.

I don't keep things
that don't belong to me.

I think I'll hold onto it until
you finish your homework.

You got to be kidding.

Mm-mm. Actually, I'll help
you finish your homework.

From what I understand,
homework's even harder

if you're wasted.

So, what is your
assignment anyway?

Find a piece of
yourself in history.

Well, that
shouldn't be difficult.

Everyone has a history.

You just have to
look around a little.

You know, I
wouldn't be surprised

if that exhibit over there
didn't get you going.

Horrible thing... What is it?

Maybe you should
see for yourself.

I ain't leaving this bench.

Okay.

We could just start
our research right here.

You and me and Billie Holiday.

She smoked marijuana,
too, you know.

Not to mention...
Well, you'll see.

Lady's never on time,

but she is always
worth waiting for.

Tears the place
down every night.

Yeah.

Even when she's all juiced up.

Who says I'm juiced?

I ain't juiced, Leo.

Not yet.

Hey, Billie, we got
a song to rehearse.

Hold your horses, boys.

Hey, Leo.

Give me a drink.

Sorry, Lady.

You know I'm under orders.

Who are you?

Andrew.

I heard that you
needed a piano player.

You look a little pale

to swing with our kind of music.

Really?

See, I heard this was
an integrated nightclub.

Man, what kind
of square are you?

This ain't nothing
but ginger ale.

What y'all laughing at, huh?!

Y'all ain't nothing but a bunch

of deadbeats, the lot of you!

Come on, Billie.

You always feel
better when you sing.

I ain't singing!

You know what, rehearsal's over.

Just pack it up.

Pack your stuff! Just get, get!

All of you, get out!

Scram. b*at it.

You know... with
a Shiner like that,

I think there's been
enough b*ating for one day.

If they're gonna call you Lady,

they ought to
treat you like one.

I guess I just got
bad luck with men.

Always did.

Even my daddy ran out
on me before I was born.

What'd you say your
name was again?

Andrew.

Oh, man, that ain't no
name for no piano man.

Look, they call me Lady Day.

And from now on,
you're... my Ginger Man.

Now let me see how
you mess with them keys.

♪ I fell in love with you
the first time I looked into ♪

♪ Them there eyes ♪

♪ And you have a certain
“me cute way of flirtin' ♪

♪ With them there eyes ♪

♪ They make me feel so happy ♪

♪ They make me feel so blue ♪

♪ I'm fallin', no stallin' ♪

♪ In a great big way for you ♪

♪ My heart is jumpin',
you started somethin' ♪

♪ With them there eyes ♪

♪ You'd better look
out, little brown eyes ♪

♪ If you're wise ♪

♪ They sparkle, they bubble ♪

♪ They're gonna get you
in a whole lot of trouble ♪

♪ Oh, baby, them there eyes... ♪

Hold up.

Hold up.

I like music that
tells the truth...

The uglier, the better...

Because that's the kind of
music I'm gonna sing someday.

Then keep listening, Charnelle,

because the truth isn't
always so easy to speak...

or sing.

Hey, where is everybody?

Up here.

You're on time.

Where's Andrew? We're
supposed to rehearse.

Ah, now I know
why you're on time.

Well, I don't.

I don't get that cat.

He's a hit musician
and a gentleman.

You mean he's not your type.

Bingo.

What are you doing?

Stringing up h*tler,
like he deserves.

I can't sing with that
thing in the room.

Come on, Billie, we're
making a political statement.

That's what we do in this joint.

Take it down!

It's giving me the creeps.

Okay, okay.

Lady, I need to talk to you.

Hey, Ginger Man.

What you got there for me?

Song.

And it was
written... just for you.

Ooh, a love song?

Blues?

Billie...

you've never sung
a song like this.

Nobody has.

It's called "Strange Fruit."

What does that mean?

Take a look.

No.

It was a song that
no one wanted to sing

and no one wanted to hear.

Some depressing love song?

No, it wasn't about love at all.

It was about hate.

It was about the
terrible, ugly truth...

in there.

♪♪

♪♪

This is it, Charnelle.

The reason the song was written,

and the reason that
it had to be sung.

This is the strange fruit.

So what?

Charnelle, how can you just walk
away from something like that?

Look, I got somebody
waiting for me.

Why don't you go inside.
I'll catch up with you later.

Hey.

Yo, you kept me
waiting. I'm a busy man.

I'm sorry. But I'm here now.

I got the money.

And I don't want none
of that kid stuff, neither.

- Oh, so you ready to graduate?
- Mm-hmm.

Charnelle, I need
to speak with you.

Hey, yo, cool out, Snow White.

You better go, before the police

start looking for
someone to arrest.

Aw, man!

- Lamont, wait.
- Oh, you setting me up?

It ain't like that.
I'll get rid of her.

- Please?
- Okay.

Got some business to
take care of across town.

It's gonna take a couple hours.

I'll tell you what.

I'll page you.

When this thing beeps,
I'll be waiting outside.

All right?

Don't worry, I'm gonna be here.

Yeah, you better be here.

Alone.

Stay away from me, Monica.

Just give me my
joint and walk on.

I can't just walk
away from someone

who's about to
throw her life away.

What do you know about it?

I know that people take
dr*gs to stop the pain.

But sometimes pain is important,

too important to ignore.

Like those pictures.

A bunch of black people
hanging from trees.

What's it to you?

The question is:
What is it to you?

Oh, I get it... I'm black,

so I'm supposed to be
all weeping and wailing.

Not because you're black,
because you're human!

Those pictures go beyond color!

All through the 19th
and 20th centuries,

black Americans were
tortured and b*rned...

and hung from tree limbs.

There was a time

when lynching black people
was a form of entertainment.

Those images were
used on postcards.

They were as common as ph...

photos of Niagara Falls.

Yeah, well, all that
happened before I was born.

What does it have to do with me?

I seen death!

I found my brother
Wesley lying in his room...

mouth like a
scream... eyes all...

Now, we had a deal;
give me back my joint.

Your brother d*ed
of an overdose?

I should think

that you would be
fighting against dr*gs,

not fighting to buy them.

I don't fight for nothing
except my music!

Look, if the dr*gs don't
k*ll me, something else will.

That's the way it is,
unless you're white.

Or somebody special
like Lady Holiday,

or whatever you call her.

Her life wasn't any easier
than yours, Charnelle.

And she had a chance
to make a stand once,

like you do now.

And I'm not leaving here
until you understand that.

Andrew...

I've been singing
since I was a kid...

Street corners, brothels, dives.

But now people pay good
money to hear me sing,

wear fancy clothes,
gardenias in my hair.

They want to hear songs
about moonlight, dreams,

stuff that makes them feel good.

And here you come with this.

No colored person
would dare sing it.

And no white person
would care to sing it.

Why should I?

'Cause, Lady...
people are dying.

Every day.

When did all this happen?

About the time your grandmother
was the age you are now.

It's kind of hard to think
of her as being young.

Perhaps you two have more
in common than you know.

Nah. Grandma's from down South.

I wonder if she's
ever heard this song.

No one would have heard it

if Lady Day hadn't found
the courage to sing it.

Hey, Ginger Man.

You want some?

Ginger ale.

No. I'm gonna ask Leo
to put some coffee on.

Oh, no, I don't want java.

Or booze.

I can't sing that song.

Not tonight.

Not no night.

Unless... you help me.

Five minutes, Miss Holiday.

Okay!

Lady... Let me
freshen up your lapel.

Ooh! Hey, hey, hey, hey.

Oh, boy!

Guess I just can't do
nothing right tonight, huh?

That song.

Won't let go.

Man, I just can't
stop remembering

what it was like down South.

I was the black singer
with the white band,

sneaking through the back door,

drinking from the
colored-only water fountain.

I saw things out of
that bus window...

I just can't get it
out of my mind.

I saw... strange fruit hanging

from the poplar tree.

Oh, Ginger Man...
please help me.

I need some reefer.

Lady, no, no, no.

You don't need that stuff.

Oh... come on, man.

Don't be such a square.

See, Lady always re...

relies on her piano
man to hook her up.

I can't do it.

Man, you're just a dumb,
sweet old white boy!

You don't know what a
lynching's really like, do you?

Yes!

Yes, I do.

Well, then help
me, please. Please?

Billie, Billie. Come on.

Man, 'cause if you won't,

I swear I'm gonna go out there
and I'll find someone who will.

Miss Holiday?

Okay.

All right, see?

You... you just
give me what I need.

Then Billie's gonna sing
that song real pretty for you.

Please?

Promise?

I just want to know one thing.

Did she end up like my brother?

Billie Holiday did eventually
die from drug abuse,

- but that's not the point I'm try...
- Give me my joint!

Charnelle, no, let
me finish my story!

I already know how it ends.

How it always ends.

What's the difference

between being strung
out and strung up?

Slow down, young lady.

Oh, no, you don't.
Now... Let me go.

Now, you're coming with me.

Let me go!

Let me go!

Yeah, we're gonna
have to check it.

Your grandmother's on her way.

Oh, man!

Who told him about her?

You sell me out?

No. They found some
ID. In your backpack.

But you should be grateful

that the museum called
her and not the police.

I'd rather spend a night in
jail than listen to her preach.

Thou shalt not this,
thou shalt not that.

I can't do nothing
right around her.

Maybe she's just worried

you're going to die
like your brother did.

Probably will.

But what about your dream?

What dream?

Being a singer.

It takes a lot of courage
to carry on, Charnelle,

when life is hard,

but dr*gs don't
give you courage.

They drain it away.

Billie Holiday knew
that better than anyone.

That's why her great act of
courage almost didn't happen.

Get out! Get out!

You and your lousy song.

- I said get out!
- You deal with her!

Billie?

What you got there?

Gardenias?

Man, where's the stuff?!

It's on the way.

What do you mean, on the way?

I mean that a friend
of mine's bringing it.

Give me this, okay?

Gonna cut yourself.

Cut myself?

Man, every word,

every note of that song's
a piece of sharp glass

tearing at my guts.

And I can't sing it
unless I get some help.

Now, you said you'd
help me, Ginger Man.

I believed you.

Good evening, Lady.

This is my friend, Tess.

She's the one?

I'm...

gonna leave you
with Tess for a while.

I believe you have some
private business to attend to.

You got the stuff?

I certainly have.

How much you got?

As much as you need,

but I have to warn you,
Lady, it's very powerful.

Whew, it's that good?

Heaven on earth,
but you can't drink it,

or sniff it or sh**t
it in your arms.

What?

Are you jiving?

God is not jive.

God?!

Five minutes, Miss Holiday.

Five minutes is all I'll need.

Hold up. Hold up.

You mean to tell me,
Lady was waiting for a fix,

and all she gets is that Tess
woman tripping about God?

Maybe my grandma will believe
a story this wack, but not me.

Charnelle, I'm waiting
for an explanation.

Don't have one.

You took my money out
of my purse, didn't you?

Just like your brother
Wesley used to.

God help you.

Yeah, we was just
talking about God.

I'm Monica. You must be
Charnelle's grandmother.

Yes, my name is Georgia.
How do you do, Monica?

Under different circumstances,
I'd be pleased to meet you.

Charnelle, I'm at
the end of my rope.

I don't mean to
interfere, but...

Since when?

Charnelle has to write an essay.

Her assignment is to find
a piece of herself in history.

Now, the museum
is closed, but I think

I could make special
arrangements for you to see...

I don't need to see
no more pictures of

black people hanging from trees.

What?

There are pictures of...
lynchings in a museum?

Yeah, a bunch of them.

Who needs to
see stuff like that?

Maybe you do.

For what?

Because you're alive,

and you don't seem
to appreciate that.

I can't make out what it says.

Read it to me please, baby.

"Lynching of Lige Daniels,

August 3, 1920, Center, Texas."

God rest his soul.

Can we go home?

Not until you've
seen every last one.

Is that... a woman?

It says here,

it's Laura Nelson, who was hung

alongside the son
that she tried to save.

My feet are tired.

How dare you complain.

How dare you not cry.

Okay, it's sad,

but I got my own
business to be sad about.

This is a human being,

born with the God-given
right to love, laugh,

and be remembered,
just like you.

Look at him closely,
Charnelle. Tell me what you see.

A black kid hanging
from a pine tree.

A bunch of white kids watching.

A little girl in some
stupid sailor dress.

A white sailor dress?

She's smiling like she's
at a picnic or something.

There's a man with her.

He's all dressed up, too.

In a straw boater hat.

That's her daddy.

The boy has the...
face of an angel.

Grandma?

His name was... Earl.

But it says here, "Lynching
and spectators unidentified."

How come you know his name?

Because, Charnelle,

you're not the only one in
our family to lose a brother.

Well, I guess I finally found
that piece of myself in history.

You happy now?

No, but I believe this
was supposed to happen.

How come you never
told me about this?

I don't know.

Maybe because you're
already so full of hate.

And look what happens
when that takes hold.

You see, he was
more than my brother.

He was my teacher
and my best friend.

I guess I was as close to him
as you were to your brother.

You still miss him?

Every day.

But Earl gave me a great gift.

You see, Daddy and Mama
never had time for schooling,

but Earl learned to read.

And he taught me.

Oh!

He was so smart!

Everyone in town said so.

That girl in the picture...

Annabelle... I used
to jump rope with her.

The man in the hat...

That's her daddy, Mr. Scaggs.

He... he owned the pharmacy,
and Earl ran errands for him.

He... he mowed his
lawn, shined his shoes.

Turns out, he was trying
to build up enough credit

to-to buy me a birthday present.

And after Earl
earned every penny,

Mr. Scaggs let
him bring it home.

Then, um, he
started telling folks...

Earl had stolen it.

But he didn't.

I turned seven years old...

on that terrible day.

Earl gave me my present.

But before I could open it,

our house was
surrounded by yapping dogs

and men with picks
and crowbars and g*ns.

And I-I started to cry,
"Here it is. Take it back."

But those men said
they wanted nothing

after... after colored
hands had touched it.

And as they... as they
dragged him away...

Earl made me promise

I'd hold onto his
birthday present

and remember every word!

Every word of what?

I didn't understand, until I...

opened his present.

Oh.

I found this.

This.

This is... this is
what gives me peace.

This... is what taught
me how to forgive.

You forgive them
because it says so in here?

Because He says so...

in here.

I hate white people.

I'm leaving, and no
one's making me stay.

Fine. Walk away
and leave everything

that happened here
today behind you.

You bet I will.

Just know this:

the dr*gs that Lamont will
sell you tonight will k*ll you.

I never told you his name.

You're a narc.

No, I'm not.

But I do know that
you're about to graduate

into much harder dr*gs and
a much, much shorter life.

Okay, what's your point?

I want you to have all
the information you can

before you make your choice.

Just like Billie Holiday heard
the truth before she made hers.

I can't do it, Andrew.

Yes, you can.

You just remember
what Tess told you, Lady.

God is here.

He's right here.

You are never gonna walk alone.

You're never gonna sing alone.

Thank you very much,
ladies and gentlemen.

For my last number, I
want to sing something new.

Something I have been...

inspired to share with you.

It's called "Strange Fruit."

♪ Southern trees ♪

♪ Bear a strange fruit ♪

♪ Blood on the leaves ♪

♪ And blood at the root ♪

♪ Black bodies swingin' ♪

♪ In the southern breeze ♪

♪ Strange fruit hangin' ♪

♪ From the poplar trees ♪

♪ Pastoral scene ♪

♪ Of the gallant South ♪

♪ The bulging eyes ♪

♪ And the twisted mouth ♪

♪ Scent of magnolia ♪

♪ Sweet and fresh ♪

♪ Then the sudden smell ♪

♪ Of burnin' flesh ♪

♪ Here is a fruit ♪

♪ For the crows to pluck ♪

♪ For the rain to gather ♪

♪ For the Wind to suck ♪

♪ For the sun to rot ♪

♪ For the tree ♪

♪ To drop... ♪

♪ Here is a strange ♪

♪ And bitter... ♪

♪ Crop... ♪

So, she sang the
song... I mean, big deal.

It was a big deal.

Night after night, people
came to hear her sing that song.

She always finished
with "Strange Fruit."

She wanted to make sure
that people went home thinking

of the k*lling that no one
could stop or even talk about.

That song became her anthem.

That first night that
she sang "Strange Fruit,"

she had no idea how the
audience would respond

or even if she'd
sing the song again.

Till one person
had the guts to clap?

She never found out who
it was, but she always said

it was the one gesture
that changed everything.

Bet it wasn't no white person.

You're right.

Yeah, right. That was you.

Yes, it was.

Oh, man.

What's going on?

I'm-I'm freaking out here.

No, Charnelle, you're
talking to an angel.

You're an angel?

God sent me a white angel?

God sent you a messenger
in human form with white skin.

He doesn't want
you to look at me,

He wants you to listen to me.

And what are you gonna say,

quit doing dr*gs and
love white people?

Quit hate and love all people.

For God made them all

and He loves them
all, mistakes and all.

And He loves
you, too, Charnelle.

Why?

Because you're His little girl.

I don't belong to nobody.

That's not true.

He created you.

You are His and He is yours,

if you'd only hold onto Him

instead of the
hate and the dr*gs.

You have every
reason to be angry,

you know, but when
anger turns to hate,

it becomes a noose
around your own neck.

The more you hate,
the tighter it becomes.

You talk about what
others have done to you.

What about what you
are doing to yourself

every time you use dr*gs?

I'm just trying to get by.

Hold onto a dream.

Until what? Until
you k*ll yourself?

Your grandmother's
brother was your age

when his life was ripped away.

He had no choice.

But your brother
did and so do you.

God wants you to choose life,

and then to live to
testify that you did.

Testify?

Billie Holiday told the
truth for her generation.

God wants you to
do the same for yours.

How can somebody like
me make a difference?

Billie didn't think that she
could make a difference,

but with God's help
she did, and so can you.

You mean, I can
really be a singer?

Oh, yes, yes.

And you can do much
more than Billie did.

You can survive.

It's time for you to make
your decision, Charnelle.

So, you ready to
graduate, young lady?

Forget it. I got homework to do.

Hey, Charnelle, don't
walk away from me.

Where you going?

Let's go home, Grandma.

♪♪