A Raisin in the Sun Page #8

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- And you're nailing it up?

- Didn't you tell me to?

You said, "Nail it up."

Common sense ought to

tell you...

...not to pack an iron

with your mama's good dishes.

I'll mark it "Fragile."

Better get on away

from me now.

Look here, I got all this

work to do, man. I...

Talk about old-fashioned Negroes.

- What kind of Negroes?

- Old-fashioned.

Girl, when them new Negroes

have their convention...

...you'll be voted...

...chairman on the Committee

for Unending Agitation.

Race, race, race!

Well, girl...

...you'll be the first person

in history...

...who ever successfully

brainwashed themselves.

You know, even the NAACP

takes a holiday sometime.

Give her time, honey.

When you become a doctor and

perform your first operation...

Look here!

You grab your scalpel...

...you sharpen it...

...you're getting ready

to cut the dude, you say...

..." By the way, what are your views

on civil rights, old baby?"

Well, sticks and stones may break my

bones but words'll never hurt me.

That's what you think.

- How do you do, miss?

- How do you do?

I'm looking for...

Yes, who do you want, please?

Mrs. Lena Younger.

That's my mother. Please excuse me

just one second. Wait.

Won't you come in, please?

My mother isn't here just now.

- Is it on business?

- Yes. Well, of a sort.

Won't you have a seat?

I'm...

...Mrs. Younger's son.

I take care of most of her

business matters and things.

My name is Mark Lindner...

Walter Lee Younger.

- How do you do?

- Hi.

My sister.

This is my wife over here.

What can we do for you?

I'm a representative of the

Clybourne Park lmprovement Association.

Rest your hat and bag on the floor.

We're cluttered up from packing.

But as I was saying...

...l'm from the Clybourne Park

lmprovement Association...

...and we had it brought to our

attention at the last meeting...

...that you people,

or at least your mother...

...has bought a piece of

residential property at 4...

- 4930 Clybourne Street.

- That's right.

Would you care for

something to drink? A beer?

- No, thank you, please.

- Some coffee?

Thank you, nothing at all.

Now, I don't know how much you folks

know about our organization.

It's one of those community

organizations set up to look after...

...you know, things like...

...block upkeep and

special projects and...

Then we also have what we call our

New Neighbours Orientation Committee.

Yes. And what do they do?

Well, they...

Well, it's what you might call

a sort of welcoming committee, I guess.

I mean, they...

No, we...

Well, I'm chairman of the committee.

I go around and see the new people

who move into the neighbourhood...

...and give them the lowdown on the way

we do things in Clybourne Park.

But then...

And then we have the category of

what the association calls...

...Special Community Problems.

- And what are some of those?

- Be quiet. Let the gentleman talk!

I'm sure that you people must be

aware of some of the incidents...

...that have happened in various parts

of the city when...

...coloured people have moved

into certain areas.

Because we have what

I think is going to be...

...a unique type of organization

in American community life.

Not only do we deplore

that kind of thing...

...but we're doing

something about it.

Now, we feel that...

We feel that most of the trouble

in this world...

...when you come right down to it...

...most of the trouble exists because

people don't sit down and talk.

You can say that again, mister.

That we don't try hard enough

in this world...

...to understand the other fellow's

problems, his point of view.

Now that's the truth.

Well, you see, our community

is made up of people...

...who've worked hard

as the dickens...

...to build up that little community.

Now, we're not rich or fancy people.

I mean, we're just hard-working,

honest people...

...who don't really have much

but those little homes...

...and a dream of the kind

of community we want...

...to raise our children in.

Well, now, I don't say

that we're perfect.

And there's a lot wrong in some

of the things we want.

But you've got to admit

that a man, right or wrong...

...has the right to want to have the

neighbourhood he lives in...

...in a certain kind of way.

At the moment, the overwhelming

majority of people out there feel...

...that people get along better...

...take more of a common interest in

the life of the community...

...when they share

a common background.

Now wait.

Now wait.

I want you to believe me

when I tell you...

...that race prejudice simply

doesn't enter into it.

It's a matter of the people of

Clybourne Park believing...

...rightly or wrongly, as I say...

...that for the happiness

of all concerned...

...that our Negro families

are happier...

...when they live in

their own communities.

This, friends,

is the Welcoming Committee.

This is what you come all the

way across town to tell us, huh?

We've been having

a fine conversation.

I hope you'll hear me

all the way through.

Come on.

Well, you see, in the face

of all the things I've said...

...we're prepared to make your family

a very generous offer.

Thirty pieces and not a coin less.

Now, our association is prepared,

through the collective efforts...

...of our people...

...to buy the house from you at

a financial gain to your family.

Lord have mercy.

Ain't this the living gall!

All right.

Through?

Now, the exact terms

of the financial arrangement...

I don't want no exact terms

of no financial arrangements.

You got anything else to say

about how people...

...should talk these things over?

- I guess you don't feel...

- Never mind. You get out of here!

I don't understand why you people

are reacting this way!

What do you think

you'll gain...

...by moving to a neighbourhood

where you aren't wanted...

...and where some elements...

People get worked up when their

way of life...

...and all they've worked for

is threatened.

Get out!

I'm sorry it went like this.

Just leave.

You just can't force people

to change their hearts, son.

Well, now, children.

Is this all that's packed

since I left here this morning?

I testify before God, my children got

all the energy of the dead.

- What time is the moving men due?

- Four o'clock.

- You had a caller.

- Sure enough, who?

- The Welcoming Committee.

- Who?

The Welcoming Committee.

They said they'll sure be glad...

...when you get there.

They say they can hardly wait

to see your face.

What's the matter?

Nothing the matter with us.

We're just telling you about the

gentleman who called on you today...

...from the Clybourne Park

lmprovement Association.

What did he want?

He said that the one thing that

they don't have out there...

...that they are just simply dying

to have out there...

...is a fine family of coloured people.

He left his card...

...in case.

Father, give us strength.

Did he threaten us?

They don't do it like that anymore.

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