American Violet Page #9

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or has your memory returned?

Let's see what

your daughter has to say.

- My name is Julie Beckett.

I'm 22, and I'm competent

to testify herein.

- Right, okay, Julie,

did your father ever express any

hostility toward black people?

- Oh, yeah, never even

tried to hide it, you know?

Him and Jerry Arnold,

they would, like, sit around

and drink beers and sh*t.

And they would always say,

"The only way

to save our town

is to blow

Arlington Springs up."

They would say sh*t like,

"Make

the n*gger cockroaches burn,"

sh*t like that,

you know?

- So how'd he feel

when he found out

that you were

dating a black man?

- Oh, he was-

he was so angry,

like, crazy angry.

He started chasing me down,

okay?

He chased me down,

and he started whipping me

with his belt.

I mean, he was

just going crazy, you know,

like,

saying sh*t to me like,

"You're nothing but a dirty

n*gger-loving whore,

dirty n*gger-loving whore,

dirty n*gger-loving whore."

- What the f*** are you doing

when they're

over here whipping me?

- Mr. Beckett, do you ever

call blacks "n*ggers"?

- Oh, of course

I call them n*ggers,

you uppity piece of sh*t.

Can't think

of any folks down here

that don't

call you people n*ggers.

Yet race has nothing to do

with whom you prosecute as DA?

- Sam, Byron.

He practically

ordered them to settle.

There's no way

he wanted that tape

played in a Texas courtroom.

It's over.

- [Laughing]

Hey!

[Laughing]

- Oh, my goodness.

- Oh, my gosh,

we did it.

[Laughing]

- Well?

- Let's get out of here.

- I want to go...

- Hm.

- Can you believe that?

Isn't he yours, Dee?

- They've offered to disband

the drug task force

and to give each of the accused

a small settlement.

- What about Gladys?

- She's no longer a felon,

so she can move back

into Arlington Springs.

- And our arrest records?

- Expunged.

- And Beckett?

- Dee, we did

everything we could.

Beckett

will have to face the voters.

But that's the best

we could do.

The judge was firm on that,

that Beckett's future

be decided by the voters.

- Will this stop the raids?

- I think so.

I really think so.

[Radio chatter]

- Sam?

- Yeah.

- Is everything all right?

- Yeah, yeah.

Everything's all right.

- Now, in our congregation,

there is a woman

that has struggled

and suffered

and prevailed,

not just for herself

but for us all.

Now, I'm gonna have

to call out Dee Roberts.

Dee Roberts,

I'm asking you

to stand up

and accept

our warmest thanks.

Come on, y'all.

[Cheers and applause]

Yeah.

- I wish

I knew how it would feel

to be free

I wish I could break

all the chains

holding me

I wish I could say

all the things

that I should say

Say 'em loud

Say 'em clear

for the whole

round world to hear

I wish I could share

All the love

that's in my heart

Remove all the bars

that keep us apart

I wish you could know

what it means

to be me

Then you'd see

and agree

that it ever man

should be free

I wish I could give

all I'm longing to give

I wish I could relive

like I'm longing to live

I wish I could do

all the things

that I can do

Though I'm way overdue

I'd be starting anew

Well, I wish I could be

like a bird

in the sky

How sweet it would be

if I found

I could fly

Oh, I'd soar

to the sun

and look down

at the sea

Then I'd sing

'cause I know, yeah

not sing

'cause I'm known, yeah

Then I'd sing

'cause I know

I know how it feels

Oh, I know

how it feels

to be free

Yeah, yeah

I know how it feels

Yes, I know,

oh, I know

how it feels

how it feels

to be free

Lord, Lord, Lord

[foreboding instrumental music]

[Woman vocalizing]

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