02x18 - Dawgburger Rebellion

[bunniefuu]

Hey, Marcus, who you doing

your civil rights term paper on?

Jackie Robinson, bro.

Jackie Rob-- wait. Hold it.

I'm doing my paper on the big J.R.

I already got it hooked up, man.

Well, you better unhook it

and find somebody else

'cause I'm doing Jackie Robinson.

[both] Oh, no, you not.

-Yes, I am.

-Whoa, whoa, whoa.

Home skillets.

I got a solution.

I'll do the report on Jackie Robinson.

[all] Oh, no, you won't.

It's just 'cause I'm white, isn't it?

Hey, guys. Aren't you getting lunch?

Not if that's what they serving.

What is that?

The sign said barbecued

loose meat on a bun.

That ain't nothing but a fancy name

for Monday's meat loaf

ground up with Wednesday's meatballs

dipped in last Friday's barbecue sauce.

Ooh. I love Monday's meat loaf. Excuse me.

Hey, T.J.

[sniffing]

Where'd you get that?

Dawg burger.

Hey, man, why are we over here,

sweating cafeteria food

when we could be across the street

at dawg burger gettin' our grub on?

I feel that. Let's get into that.

Guys, I don't know if that's too smart.

You've only got more minutes

before class.

Man, don't worry about it. We do this

all the time. Ain't gonna be late.

[bell rings]

It was barbecued loose meat

day in the cafeteria.

[belches]

♪ He's a smart guy ♪

I'm about to go off.

Now, I went to both the school

and downtown libraries

to get books on Jackie Robinson,

and somebody checked them all out

and I think we know who that somebody is.

We do?

Yeah. Deon. Now, we need to take him out.

Okay.

I never thought I'd have to say this,

but keep your library books off my bed.

Let me get these on out of here.

No, brother, not so fast.

Biography of Jackie Robinson.

Jackie Robinson: A True American Legend.

Man, you checked out all the books.

Sorry about that, man.

You can have this one.

Swiss family Robinson?

Yeah. It turns out

it wasn't even about him.

Hey, man. Thanks a lot.

You got all the books.

What am I supposed to do?

[Marcus] Fail.

Look, here's one

off the top of my head, Mo.

Pick somebody else.

There is nobody else.

What do you mean?

There's Booker T. Washington,

Frederick Douglass, Paul Robeson,

Countee Cullen.

Those guys don't blow my skirt up.

Well, why don't you write about

a woman like Harriet Tubman?

Harriet Tubman ever named

rookie of the year,

have a lifetime batting average?

Yes.

Or you could do your report

on a historical event like I'm doing.

The lunch counter sit-ins

that took place in the sixties.

It's a great idea.

Did I ever tell you about your uncle Mert?

Who?

You stay right here.

I got a big surprise for you.

Who's uncle Mert?

Our famous uncle Meredith

Samuel Henderson.

Why is he famous?

Probably because he had a girl's name.

Because he helped organize

one of the first sit-ins

at a Woolworth's lunch counter in

Greensboro, North Carolina, back in .

You are going to be amazed by this story.

I can't believe we had an uncle

who organized a sit-in.

Well, thanks, Barbara Walters.

Did you tell the whole story?

No. I didn't tell him about the part

where he was arrested and landed in jail.

Jail? Really?

Aren't you and your friends

going to see the Titanic later?

Uh-huh, but I already know it sinks.

So does Leonardo. Blub, blub, blub.

Take a look at this.

This is a clip from a newspaper

in Greensboro,

and that's your uncle Mert sitting

at a lunch counter

where it all got started at.

This is history right here.

Isn't this something?

It sure is. That menu on the wall says

you can get an entire

Turkey dinner for cents.

I think you're missing the bigger picture.

You're right.

You can get a slice of pie for a quarter.

Good lord. I'd be taking advantage.

I still want to hear the story.

Thank you.

See, black people could buy food

in this place,

but they couldn't sit and eat

at the lunch counter,

so uncle Mert decided one day

he wasn't gonna take that anymore,

and so he sat.

Now, they threatened to b*at him up,

they threatened to arrest him,

but he wouldn't move. He was a real hero.

Boy, if sitting around and not moving

makes you a hero,

my dad should get the congressional

medal of honor.

He even caught heat

from some of our family.

They thought he was just

stirring up trouble.

Well, if I'd been around back then,

I would have been sitting there

right next to uncle Mert.

That was a defining moment in history.

I'll say. You can get dinner and dessert

for $ . , leave an -cent tip

and be out the door for under a buck- .

Go home, son.

And if you had some coupons-- hoo hoo!

Go home, son.

Oh, man. That burger really hit the spot.

I'm never eating cafeteria food again.

Hello, gentlemen.

Back from dude burger, I see.

Dawg burger, sir.

Well, the species of burger is immaterial.

From now on, all off-campus

lunch privileges have been abolished.

Wha-wha-what?

Now school policy.

I have a flier.

But that's not fair.

I just discovered I can leave campus

and have a decent meal,

and you're gonna take that away.

You can't do this to us.

You did it to yourselves, young gentlemen,

by being persistently late to class.

-Well, we weren't late today.

-What about yesterday?

Well, the only reason why we was late

yesterday was because the liquor store

next to Dawg Burger was getting robbed.

You know? 'cause the cops was

asking questions.

But the wise guys that hang out there,

they ain't never gonna talk. Uh-uh.

The - was drilling them.

But there was never any danger,

you know? It was a family thing.

The administration tells us

that this rule is about tardiness,

but we know it's about more than that.

It's about--

what's the word I'm looking for?

It's about punishing

the majority of students

for the transgressions of the minority

and treating us all like feckless infants.

-Why don't you type?

-Yeah!

You guys are pretty riled up over that

little Dawg Burger thing, aren't you?

Dad, this is not a "little

dawg burger thing."

It's about a student's fundamental right

to choose where he or she eats lunch.

Oh, yeah. Give me curly fries

or give me death.

Well, I'm glad to see that you guys are

standing up for something you feel

so passionately about,

but just because you write

an editorial doesn't mean

the administration's going

to change their minds.

Dad, I am the editor of the school

newspaper. I'm in student government.

I think that my opinion is pretty

well-respected by the powers that be

and I am confident that we are going

to see results.

They won't even meet with me.

You said your voice was respected.

I thought it was.

You said you're the editor.

You said your opinion counts.

You said we'll see results.

So, T.J., How did your editorial go?

I mean, did you change their minds?

How do you think it went over?

Yvette was our point man.

It's a real surprise and

a real disappointment,

but when life hands you lemons,

you make... Dawg Burgers!

Hello there.

May I take your order?

Wait a minute. You guys snuck off-campus?

You broke the rule?

Can I have a fry?

Have one, shrimp Louie.

Alright, ladies and gentlemen,

one line, please, no pushing

and have your money ready.

I'll take a chili cheeseburger

and some fries.

That'll be . .

Are you crazy? They're like $ .

at Dawg Burger.

Hey, we risked our sacred honor

and our lives to sneak off-campus

and procure these flame-broiled delights.

Now, I've got . . Who'll give me . ?

I'll give you nine dollar bills.

Sold to the little man

with the big appetite.

Aha! Alright!

Next up, we have a double dawg burger

smothered in chihuahua sauce!

$ . !

I want to hear . . Can I hear . ?

I got five ones!

I don't have . , but I can suspend you.

Oh, man!

Gather up your goodies, gentlemen.

I believe you know the way.

You were supposed to keep lookout, fool!

Nah, I can't keep lookout and make change?

Come on. Come on.

You can't take them away.

They've done nothing

except refuse to comply

with an unjust law.

You should listen to him.

He's been studying that stuff.

Hey, when this administration

makes a rule, you kids better follow it.

Go.

Hey! Are we just going

to stand by and let that happen?

Yeah, that's the plan. Yeah, pretty much.

What is wrong with you people?

We had a right to eat where we want

to eat, and they took that away.

Yeah, but the man's not going

to listen to us.

If we take a stand, he will.

A small group of dedicated people

can make a difference.

Kenny, help me up here, please.

Now, I say the time for writing

editorials is over!

The time for taking action is now!

[all murmuring]

Hey, man, if you'd be willing to reduce

the penalty from suspension to detention,

we're prepared to forget where we left

this tasty evidence.

You would bribe me with burgers?

Hey, hey, hey, there's fries, too.

Sorry to interrupt, sir,

but there's a pretty vicious

food fight in the cafeteria.

I think it's tied to recent arrests.

They just don't pay me enough.

Yo, man, now's our chance to escape.

Yeah. We'll go on the lam,

like the fugitive,

always one step ahead of the law,

drifting from one school to another,

never knowing who our

next teacher will be.

Listen, man. You think I got enough time

to go home and change my shoes?

See, I got on cross-trainers, man.

I need my running shoes to get my run on.

-Oh, hey, guys.

-What's happening?

Wait a minute.

What's this, a Puff Daddy video?

We're going on a whole

bad boy clique. What's up?

What's going on?

We're staging a sit-in.

We're going to stay in here until

the administration agrees to rescind

the no off-campus lunch policy! Right?

Right! Right! Right!

This administration is going down!

Are you with me?

Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!

No!

What do you mean, no?

You guys are the symbols of the sit-in.

Uh, look here, Malcolm extra-small,

now, I appreciate you trying

to symbolize me.

Okay, but I think I'm in enough trouble

with Pops already.

This will make him proud of you.

We're going to be heroes,

just like uncle Mert.

I think the kid has a point.

Since when did you join the movement?

Right after the pointer sisters.

Hey, fight the power!

Hey, it's Militich. He's coming back.

Okay, everybody. Assume the positions!

You know what you're supposed to do.

Cheese and crackers! What now?

We're not moving until you let us

eat off-campus again.

Then you will go hungry.

Alright. Everyone out of my office.

Come on. Let's go.

Right now.

Chop chop!

I see. That's how we're playing it, huh?

Fine!

I'm calling security!

[cheering]

Okay. Lock the door.

We may be in here a long time.

The siege of Piedmont has begin.

Brothers and sisters,

we are all in this together.

Let's hold hands...

and party!

Yeah. Marcus, would you like to join me

in our civil disobedience dance?

Right on, brother.

♪ Fight the power ♪

♪ Fight the power ♪

♪ Fight the power ♪

Look, it's really not necessary to disturb

the principal during her vacation.

I've got everything under control.

Oh, Snickers!

Open up in there!

[T.J.] Not until you meet our demands!

I just heard about the siege.

Now, as a member of the press,

I intend to be fair and unbiased.

Is it true that security forced

their way in and b*at students

who are now in guarded condition

at the local hospital?

No. As a matter of fact,

security hasn't even arrived yet.

-Where are they?

-Having lunch...

at Dawg Burger.

Look. Go see if they're done yet.

Now, I want you to go in there

and tell your brother to call off

his little rebellion.

You know, Mr. Militich,

if you hadn't ignored my editorial,

we wouldn't be in this little situation.

Ms. Henderson, I don't have time for this.

Morris Tibbs is in my office

unsupervised, touching things.

Now, why would somebody want

to drink coffee out of a guy's head?

Here. Let me see that.

Would you put that-- give me that!

Oh! Oh, my gosh!

And now, here's the big'un

that everyone's diggin'.

Would you turn that off?

This is a sit-in, not Soul Train!

We got to stay focused.

[knock on door]

Wait. Don't get that door.

You're a target. Let me get it.

Who that is?

Me, Yvette.

Can I please speak to T.J.?

I'll have to pat you down first.

Okay, but then I'll have to knee you.

She's clean.

So, what's going on out there?

The administration feeling

the pressure yet?

Are they ready to cave?

-He's pretty angry.

-Good! 'cause we are, too.

Right, everybody?

Five card stud, red fours wild.

You can't be angry all the time.

It's exhausting.

T.J., Mr. Militich says if everybody's

not out of here in half an hour,

they're all suspended.

What? What?

And if you're not out of here in an hour,

everyone's going to be expelled.

Oh!

Aw! Oh, come on, guys.

I know Militich. He's bluffing.

All we have to do is hold our ground

and stay in our position,

and he'll have to back down.

That's great,

but what if he's not bluffing?

Then we get expelled.

Any right worth having

is worth sacrificing for.

Look, you tell him unless

our demands are met,

there's no force on earth

that can get us out of his office.

[beep]

Mr. Henderson, this is Basil Militich,

vice principal of Piedmont high school.

I'm calling in regards to your son T.J.,

who has barricaded himself

inside my office.

I'd appreciate it if you'd give me a call.

Hello. Listen, do you still need

all of us here at the sit-in?

Yes.

Okay. 'cause what I was thinking

this sit-in needs is somebody

on the outside,

you know, to gauge the mood of the public.

You can't sit in outside.

Right.

Okay. Listen. See, if I get suspended,

then I don't get a dirt

bike for Christmas,

um, and I need a dirt bike.

Listen-- what are you-- get back in here!

Are you guys committed

to this cause or not?

Well...

Could someone bring him over here?

Yeah, he only weighs a buck- - .

Just bring him.

Okay, baby Huey Newton,

I've been talking to some of

the brothers and sisters in the struggle,

and to be quite honest,

we'd love to sit up here

and kick it with you

and fight the power, but...

if we get expelled, I got to spend a lot

of time at home with the folks,

and that's like a powder keg.

Would you guys stop worrying?

I know they're going to give in.

I feel it. I know it.

They're crumbling out there.

Oh, who am I kidding? I'm crumbling.

The principal leaves me in charge for one

week and the school turns into Attica.

We're not going anywhere.

You're trippin', man.

I think you made your point,

and everybody just want to go home.

I got to use the bathroom, Jack!

Well, I'm staying.

Anybody who doesn't have a stomach

for a fight can just go.

Aloha! Bye-bye!

Wow. Peace easy.

Anybody who ever wants help

on his homework again

better not go through that window.

I'm staying.

Come on, guys.

What's the worst that can happen?

They're going to call the police?

[knock on door]

[Mr. Henderson] T.J., Marcus!

Guess who?

[Marcus] Oh, man!

That's worse than the police.

I want you guys to come

out of there right now!

I can't believe your pops showed up

to take you home like a couple

of little babies.

[woman] Deon Lamont White,

are you in there?

-Lamont?

-Lamont?

Shh! That's Moms.

Yes, ma'am!

[mom] I better not have

to come in there after you!

Yo, man, see, I like Dawg Burgers

as much as the rest of y'all,

but Moms, no. She--

she don't play that, man. I--

I got to-- I got to go.

I want you to open this door,

and I mean right now.

Okay. You can come in, but only you.

[Mr. Henderson] Alright.

How's everybody doing?

Where's Marcus?

Would it help my case if I said

I was being held here against my will?

It'd help your case

if you headed home now.

I'm with you in spirit, brother.

T.J., I'm trying very hard

to stay calm here,

but you are occupying a school

administrator's office

without his permission.

Are you out of your mind?

No. I've never been clearer.

Uncle Mert's family thought

he was crazy, too. You said it yourself.

Look, that was a little different.

Uncle Mert was fighting for human rights.

So are we.

He was fighting for freedom, T.J.

Same here.

No. You're fighting for a privilege.

It's different.

T.J., Your uncle Mert was not allowed

to sit and eat at that lunch counter ever,

just because of the color of his skin,

so he decided one day that he was going

to do something about that,

but before he did, he had to ask himself,

"is all this worth me

being thrown in jail over?"

Now, his answer was yes.

Now I ask you, is an off-campus burger

worth being expelled over?

'cause that's exactly

what's about to happen.

I just wanted to be

a hero like uncle Mert.

And one day you might be,

but you got to pick your battles, son.

You think there'll still be important

stuff to fight about when I'm old enough?

As long as the republicans

still control congress,

I'm sure there will.

You know, they have

a pretty good fiscal policy.

We can debate that later.

Right now, I think you ought

to go out here

and make things right with Mr. Militich.

I-- I imagine we could accommodate that.

Yes. Thank you.

Mr. Militich, I'm really sorry

for taking over your office.

We kind of overreacted,

but we didn't break anything.

I appreciate your apology.

And to be fair, we probably

should have met with the students

and given you a fair hearing

before we ignored you.

Would you still be willing to discuss

the off-campus policy?

I mean, with an open mind.

I'd be willing to do more than that.

I'd be willing to reinstate the old policy

and allow you kids

to eat anywhere you want,

as long as you're back in time for class.

Really? Wow, thanks!

Did you hear that, Dad?

Our sit-in did work!

I'm going to go tell everybody!

I'm just curious.

You asked me to come down here

to explain to my son

that he was overreacting to a decision

this school had every right to make,

and you pull a on me,

what's that about?

Simple.

Dawg burger's business dropped off %.

They just offered to donate new band

uniforms and computer equipment

if we let the students come back.

Well, in that case, power to the people.

Right on.

Jackie Robinson was not only

a great sports hero,

but he was a pioneer

in the struggle for human rights.

On the field or off,

Jackie Robinson lived his life in a way

that was an inspiration to us all.

And so I must say that in the pantheon

of heroes in the th century,

we most certainly must count

the name of Jackie Robinson!

It's because I'm white, isn't it?

[clapper]

I'm never working for this guy again.