04x05 - Freedom Ride or Die

[bunniefuu]

I think, to understand the
story of the freedom riders,

you have to understand how abhorrent

segregation was in the deep south.

Granddad:
Segregation was so bad back then,

my rule was if it was
in the south, it wasn't worth it.

And most of my family was in
the south, and I didn't care.

They were not worth it.

So, it's with that backdrop
that a handful of us

decided to venture into the deep
south to defy those immoral laws.

Robert Jebediah Freeman is a very odd

recurring character in the
Civil Rights Movement.

He is a self-described civil rights legend,

which I feel is, well, not at all accurate.

Even by his own account,

his participation in the freedom rides seems
to have been completely against his will.

__

Granddad: One ticket for Chicago,
thank you kindly.

[Grumbles] Hmm!

Granddad: The day I was leaving,
it was all over the news.

These freedom riders...

young, idealistic, bold kids who were
riding buses from Washington, D.C.,

to New Orleans to test and
challenge segregation...

end Jim Crow.

The paper said they were expected to arrive
in Alabama sometime that afternoon,

and I remember thinking to myself,

"I'm so glad I won't be here
when them n*gg*s show up."

Don't get me wrong.
Unh-unh. I hated Jim Crow.

Ohh, the humiliation we had to endure.

Ugh! [Coughs, gags]

See, when I saw injustice,

I didn't need to dust off n*gro spirituals

and have an army of rhyming
preachers behind me.

Oh, no, I ain't afraid of a confrontation.

I let those crackers
know I wasn't having it.

Uh, I just wanted to make sure
that you were aware that the, uh,

colored restroom could use some attending.

What you want me to do
about that, porch monkey?

Granddad:
I would like someone to clean it,

if you have the time and
available janitorial staff.

I bet it's cleaner than that
jungle you come from, coonskin.

sh**t, if it was up to me, you'd
be [beep] from a tree outside.

[Chuckling] now, scram, spearchucker.

Granddad: Excuse me, sir, but I know
my rights... separate but equal.

Now, I don't mind using
the colored bathroom,

but it is a violation of my civil rights

if that bathroom is covered in [beep].

The bathrooms should be equally [beep].

That's the law.

Hey, how about I get you a mop,
and you clean it, jigaboo?

Granddad: [Grumbles]

So, I bravely went into the whites-only
bathroom, and I took a dump.

Oh, not just any dump.

It was a dump for freedom, a stinky
load for the dignity of the black man.

[Farting] Take that, Charlie.
This is for your mama.

[Farting] Aah! Ooh. [Sighs]

- Aah. [Sighs] Oh.
- What?

- Granddad: Free at last. Free at last.
- [Groans]

[Farting] Whew!

[Humming]

- [Gasps]
- Hey!

At that point, as Robert tried to
get away from the bus-station employee,

he accidentally got on the bus
occupied by the freedom riders.

- [Engine turns over]
- Granddad: Take that, you cr*cker-ass cr*cker!

That's why I [beep] in your bathroom

and used up all your special
white-people quilted toilet paper!

[Grumbles]

That was the first time
I saw Robert Freeman...

when he got on the bus.

Now, I remember seeing him for
the first time and thinking,

"ooh, he's really frail."

Granddad: I noticed she was reading
Ralph Ellison's "Invisible Man",

a book I had meant to read many times.

I'm sorry about my language.

I just... I get so upset at
the injustice of segregation.

It's okay. What happened back there?

Granddad: Well, see, I had to go
into the bathroom to take a du... uh,

stand against segregation.

And they said, "n*gga, don't
you dare go into that bathroom."

And I said, "you don't scare me, white man.

"And my name ain't 'n*gga.'

you will address me as 'Mr. Freeman.'"

Amazing.

I can't believe it.

- Sturdy, did you hear this?
- Yes, I did.

Your courage is an inspiration, brother.

Now, leading this particular
bus was the reverend Sturdy Harris,

who was an up-and-coming force
on the civil rights scene.

Sturdy was a very physically imposing man,

a grad student at Fisk University,

captain of the football team,
totally fearless.

This guy was really a superior human being,

completely dedicated
to the cause of justice.

Granddad: Sturdy. Boy, I hated that n*gga.

Reverend Sturdy Harris.

Granddad: Ow!

So, where you from? You in school?

So, where is Mr. Freeman traveling to?

Granddad: Oh, heading back to Chicago.

Um, Robert, this bus is going south.

Granddad: Huh? No, that's not right.

It's supposed to be going north.

Oh, no. You must have
gotten on the wrong bus.

Granddad: Oh, damn it.
Where this bus going?

To Birmingham.

Granddad: Birmingham?!
[beep] That's the worst!

Let me off! [beep]

This is all that white man's fault. Ow!

Robert, what if I told you you
weren't meant to be on that other bus?

That God had a plan for you on this bus?

Granddad: Well, I don't know
why God is talking to you about me.

God loves me in Chicago.

Robert, have you heard
of the freedom riders?

Granddad: Wait, you guys aren't...

oh, man, not you guys! I was
leaving town early to avoid y'all!

Yes, y'all is we.

All: ♪ 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 ♪

Granddad: Well, good luck with
that and all your bus tunes.

I'm going back north.

We're just like you, Robert.

We felt like it was time to take a stand.

This bus is going to freedom.

Granddad: Then we got
to turn this bus around.

All: ♪ ain't gonna let
nobody turn me around ♪

Granddad: Excuse me for a second.

- You with them?
- No.

- Granddad: What are you doing this for?
- Time and a half.

Granddad: Can I pay you
double to turn the bus around?

No, sir.

Granddad: [Whimpers]

All: ♪ turn me around, turn me around ♪

Look, Robert. I know this
may sound crazy to you,

but we do have a strategy.

- Granddad: Strategy?
- That's right.

A brilliant strategy. loy.

Granddad: Thank God. You
should have said that before.

I'm up for strategy. Lay it on me.

The most brilliant
strategy ever conceived...

- Nonviolent direct action.
- Granddad: Come again?

You confront the oppressor
and his unjust system.

Incite him to v*olence without
resorting to v*olence yourself.

- Granddad: Why would we do that?
- To prove our moral superiority.

- Granddad: So, we make them want to att*ck us?
- Yes.

- Granddad: And then we let them?
- Exactly.

- Granddad: And we don't fight back?
- No.

- Granddad: What about self-defense?
- Absolutely not.

The only self-defense allowed is singing
and a special kind of nonviolent martial art

which protects your attacker at all times...

"Hard chin, soft hand."

Granddad: Do you even hear yourselves?

We are ready for anything, Robert.

- They can arrest us, b*at us.
- Granddad: b*at us?

I think, as a people, we've taken
enough beatings. Don't you think?

b*at us, s*ab us, sic dogs
on us, light us on fire.

Granddad: Light us on fire?!

Not that we're expecting that.

But we are prepared for that to happen.

Granddad: You can't get
prepared to get lit on fire!

In defense of Robert, the strategy
of nonviolent direct action,

when you actually think about it,
is completely insane.

You have to trust us, Robert.
God is on our side.

There's nothing to be afraid of.

Granddad: No [beep] way.

There's no [beep] way you
gonna get me out there.

This is the dumbest [beep]
I've ever heard. I mean it.

You're out of your [beep] minds!

We're gonna end Jim Crow, Robert.

Granddad: You want to
know how to end Jim Crow?

Get out of the [beep] south!

Which is exactly what I'm
gonna do at the next station.

Good luck with all this [beep].

Now, the riders were unaware at that point

that they were heading
toward serious danger.

Birmingham was the most r*cist
city in the whole country,

run by a maniac named Bull Connor.

I hate n*gg*r*s! I hate 'em! I hate 'em!

And right next to Bull Connor, helping him
organize this v*olence against the riders,

was an equally despicable man.

Ruckus: The day my hero, Bull Connor,

called and asked for my help dealing
with them freedom-ridin' n*gg*s

was the happiest day of my life. [Chuckles]

Granddad: Wait. You mean Ruckus
was at the Birmingham Station?

All this time, I didn't know that.

That black sumbitch!

Boy, I'ma have to kick
his ass when I see him.

Ruckus: Robert Freeman was there?

[Chuckles] Well, ain't that something?

Small world.

Bull Connor made an
arrangement with the Ku Klux Klan.

Their mobs would be allowed minutes

to do anything to the riders
without fear of arrest.

Ruckus: Oh, sure. It starts with buses.

But next they will want to
integrate schools and restaurants,

and before you know,
some n*gga will want to integrate

the sweet pink nether
regions of your white wife

or your white daughter or your dear,
sweet, white grandmother.

Do any of y'all know what a BBC is?

All: No!

Ruckus: Ooh, you don't want to know.

It does much damage.

You have minutes, seconds,

to do whatever your heart desires
to these shiftless black bastards

before the law shows up.

So, I am begging you, white men.

Do not hold back on these n*gg*s.

Let the full strength of your
caucasianism rain down upon them!

Believe me... they can't do much,

but a n*gga can take an
ass-whupping, I promise!

They were headed into a trap.

When we pulled into the Birmingham station,

there was a mob of at
least people there.

The bus was surrounded,

and they were calling
us all kinds of names...

n*gg*r, n*gg*r-lover, moon cricket,
free-Lance honey badger.

Listen to that. "Free-Lance honey badger"?

I think they were just
making up words after awhile.

[Indistinct shouting]

Aah!

We were all pretty scared, and then
sturdy just stood up, and he said...

Brothers and sisters, freedom awaits.

And suddenly, we weren't afraid anymore.

Granddad: [beep] that. I was afraid.

[Shouting continues]

- Brother Freeman, please.
- Granddad: [Grumbles]

- You just get your ass back on that bus!
- Hey, n*gg*r-lovers!

- How about some of this, boy?!
- Why don't you crawl back in your hole?!

[Grunts]

Please! Please, we don't mean any...

Oh, my God! You don't have to!

Oh, God! Oh, God! Help us!

Granddad: [Coughing]

What the hell?

[Coughs]

[Chuckling] Oh, this is perfect.

[Panting] [Gasps] ]] Aah!

[Belt cracks]

Granddad: [Grunts]
Not so fast, you cr*cker!

That's what I said.
I said, "not so fast, you cr*cker!"

That's actually what he said.
I almost laughed.

Granddad: [Growls] [Grunts]

Granddad: [Grunts] ]] Aah!

- [Belt cracks]
- [Grunts]

Ohh, Robert!

- I'll get you, you black slut!
- [Gasps] [Grunts]

- Robert, we're supposed to be nonviolent!
- Granddad: Unh-unh.

- Hey, you big, old pickaninny!
- Hold still!

You think you can take me? Huh?!

- [Grunts]
- Aah!

- [Grunts] Ow!
- [Grunts]

- [Belt cracks]
- [Grunts]

Granddad: Ooh!

- [Groans]
- That n*gg*r bitch is mine!

Aah!

Granddad: [Grunts] Get
everybody back to the bus!

- [Grunts] [Belt cracks]
- [Groans]

Aah!

- No! Aah!
- [Grunts]

- [Grunts]
- Ohh!

Come here, n*gg*r. [Grunts] [Grunts]

Ruckus: [Chuckles]

- [Grunts]
- [Belt cracks]

Granddad: What are you doing here?
Get on the bus!

We've got to find sturdy and the others.

Granddad: Fine, take this.

- No. We are supposed to be non...
- Granddad: [Grunts] Aah!

- [Gasps]
- [Growls]

[Belt cracks]

[Grunts]

- Robert!
- Aah! Diane!

Aah! Get this [beep] off of me!

Diane now confronts a moral
and philosophical dilemma.

Will she fight to save Robert,

who's getting his freedom [beep] ass
whupped right in front of her eyes?

Granddad: And I was yelling...
ooh, was I yelling...

"Woman, what's wrong with
you?! Hit this [beep]."

Help! Hel... aah!

But what about the strategy
of nonviolent direct action?

Granddad: [beep] that [beep].

And I'm ashamed to say I made
up my mind to hit that white man.

[Gasps]

[Grunting] Aah! [Growls]

Granddad: n*gga, where you been?

[Growls]

- Granddad: I got you now, [beep]
- Robert, no!

- [Growls]
- Granddad: Aah!

- Granddad: n*gga, what are you doing?!
- Robert, you have to trust me.

[Grunts]

Granddad: n*gga, I'm gonna k*ll you!

Turn the other cheek, Robert.

- Tell that man he's your brother.
- Granddad: What?!

[g*nsh*t] ]] Whoa! All right, that's it!

Y'all had your fun!

You mean I come down here for nothing?

I came down here to b*at up a n*gg*r!

- [Groans]
- Ow.

Oh, what a stunning victory,
brothers and sisters.

You not-fought bravely.

Granddad: Stunning victory?!

Maybe you haven't been
keeping up on current

events, but we just got
our asses kicked, pal.

You're gonna get us all k*lled.

Death is a small price to pay for freedom.

Granddad: Well, I say death is a pretty
big [beep] price to pay for anything!

You know what your problem is?

You want to die. You got a death wish.

Excuse me?

Granddad: You heard me.
This isn't about freedom.

This is about you. You want
to be a martyr for the cause.

Uh, freedom fellers? We got a problem.

This guy won't let me get
around, and I found this.

I think it's for y'all.

The riders were about to see how far
the Klan would go to stop that bus.

"Dear n*gg*s...

I hope this note finds you well.

In the interest of you taking your
agitating black asses

back to where you came from,

a b*mb has been placed on this bus.

That b*mb will detonate if the
bus exceeds miles an hour."

Ruckus: [Chuckles] Oh, that's right.

It was like the opposite of
that cinematic classic "Speed,"

starring the great Keanu Reeves

and that American sweetheart,
Sandra Bullock.

"If you stop the bus,
the b*mb will not explode.

If anyone leaves the bus,
the b*mb will not explode."

Ruckus: "And if you turn that bus around
and leave decent white folks alone,

then the b*mb will not explode."

Huh. If you ask me, I think
that was perfectly reasonable.

Oh, my goodness.
What are we going to do?

[Tires screech] [Door hisses]

Sorry, there, freedom fellers...

Time and a half just ain't worth it.

Granddad: Well, it's been real...
hope you reach the promised land.

The struggle needs you, Robert.

Granddad: n*gga, if you
don't get out of my way...

[beep] I'm mostly Indian
on my mama side, anyway.

I can't let you off this bus, Robert.

Your people are depending on you.

Granddad: You know that's kidnapping, right?

I should have called the police on his ass.

But I was like, "let me?
I'm a grown-ass man.

I do what the hell I want."

No!

[Sobbing]

No! I want off the bus! Please, let me go!

So, with a b*mb on the bus

and Sturdy basically holding Robert c*ptive,

the bus continued on toward
Mississippi very slowly.

Granddad: I don't know how
long we were on that bus.

All I know is they kept singing
that same damn song over and over.

All: ♪ ain't gonna let
nobody turn me around ♪

♪ Turn me around, turn me around ♪

♪ Ain't gonna let... ♪

As we were approaching
the Mississippi state line,

we saw a black car on the side of the road,

and there was a gentleman waving us down.

President Kennedy, who
was greatly embarrassed

by the controversy generated
by the freedom riders,

had sent a staffer from
the justice department

to intercept the riders before
they got to Mississippi.

I'm here to tell you to turn back.

This man informed them that there
was a virtual army of local cops

and state troopers with orders
to sh**t the bus on sight.

Thanks for the warning, sir. Let's go.

Granddad: We going home? Finally.

No. We're going to Mississippi.

Damn it, men. Are you crazy?

Granddad: Yes! He's crazy!

And he's holding me hostage. Save me!

Sir, you should know that
we all signed our wills

- before we left for this trip.
- Granddad: I didn't!

She's right. If we stop now,

then those who would oppress us shall know

that bats, bombs, and g*ns
are all they need to scare us.

Granddad: That's all
they need to scare me!

We have wounded. Perhaps
you can take them to get help.

But the three of us... we're going on.

Granddad: No! Please! I don't
want to get back on the bus!

- Fine.
- Granddad: No, not fine! This is not fine!

My God, you kids are crazy.
But brave. So brave.

Granddad: What?! No!

No, you're just encouraging them! No!

[Sobbing]

I want to go north!

You tell 'em I want 'em
lining the streets, the rooftops,

everywhere you can get 'em.

These n*gg*r*s will not cross the state line.

Ruckus?

Ruckus: Brave white men of law enforcement,

you are the last line of defense

for the white man's entire
glorious way of life.

If that bus crosses this line,

it sets off a series of
irreversible changes.

First, there will be
integrated diners and bathrooms

and then schools.

There will be n*gg*r quarterbacks,
n*gg*r*s winning Academy Awards,

n*gg*r*s playing doctors on television,

eventually, even the White
House won't be white.

White men, you must stop this bus!

Good. Now scram before someone
sh**t your black ass by mistake.

Ruckus: Oh, oh, yes, sir, Mr. Bull, sir.

Granddad: [Whimpering]

Turn back. Please, don't do this. Please.

- Open fire!
- [g*nshots]

Aah! No! Aah!

Granddad: Please, please, please, please.

Be strong. God will protect us.

Granddad: Oh, shut the [beep] up!

Aah! [Both screaming]
Please! I'm going north!

We're almost there.

Keep f*ring! Keep f*ring!

[Glass shattering]

[Engine hissing]

Hold it right there.
I'm with the justice department.

And on behalf of the president, I'm here
to ensure these three are not harmed.

If they are, you'll be
brought up on federal charges.

Sir, you tell the president
that in the state of Mississippi,

we obey the law.

Good luck. One day, your
nation will thank you.

Granddad: [Exhales deeply] Aah!

♪ 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 ♪

- Shut up!
- ♪ Turn me around ♪