Dear White People Page #15

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87.

KURT:

Okay, I’m f***ing confused.

85 INT. SAM’S ROOM - NIGHT 85

Lionel sits across from Sam.

SAM:

What do you want me to do? Go over

there and yell at them?

LIONEL:

Have you heard you yelling?

SAM:

This house is filled with folks

willing to take up after a cause

Lionel. Believe me. Never would

have guessed you’d be one of them

but...

LIONEL:

For the first time in my life, I

can’t just sit around and do

nothing. How can you?

SAM:

If I’m caught being a part of

anything like this...it wouldn’t be

good for me right now okay?

Lionel gets up and walks towards the door.

SAM (CONT’D)

I’m done being everybody’s angry

Black chick.

Sam looks down as Lionel gets up and heads out.

Sam’s focus shifts to her Super 8 resting by the door and

then to a bullhorn directly across from it. Her mind ticks.

86 INT. ARMSTRONG / PARKER HALL - NIGHT 86

Lionel exits and paces down the hall. He walks by the dining

room - taken over by Reggie, the BoFros, and a mix of other

students mostly from ARMSTRONG / PARKER.

86A DINING HALL - CONTINUOUS 86A

Lionel gingerly walks in the room. He’s still an outsider

here - but something’s changed in him.

88.

LIONEL:

Hey. How’s it going. Hi.

No one answers him - just stay to their own conversations.

Lionel spots a familiar face...Sungmi.

LIONEL (CONT’D)

Hey...what is this?

SUNGMI:

Black Student Union.

Lionel smiles shyly. He should’ve known that.

Reggie, Curls, Dreads and the Bofros hang out at the front.

DREADS:

Your call then man.

REGGIE:

(to everyone)

Alright ya’ll - thanks for coming

out tonight. Looks like Sam’s not

making it so...let’s just call it.

The crowd starts to talk amongst themselves, get up and

leave. Just then Lionel stands and before he can think...

LIONEL:

Uh. Excuse me. Hi. I’m Lionel. Some

of you...none of you probably know

me. I’ve never been to a meeting.

But I just came back from a party

on campus and I think you should

know about it.

Lionel’s nerves can be heard in his voice now. He’s got the

judging eyes of the room fixed silently on him. He sees an

open laptop on a desk.

LIONEL (CONT’D)

Anybody mind if I?

Reggie shifts a bit as Lionel goes to the laptop and pulls up

the party on Facebook. The crowd gathers around as Lionel

browses through the photos.

LIONEL (CONT’D)

I mean...I don’t know. This is

f***ed up right?

REGGIE:

Alright brother. What’s the plan?

89.

Lionel realizes the eyes aren’t judging. They’re mobilizing.

Readying for action. Lionel steels himself.

LIONEL:

We go over there. Now.

CURLS:

Think there’s enough of us?

SUNGMI:

You know you don’t have a monopoly

on being a pissed off minority.

Latino’s United is meeting across

the hall. Asian American League

too.

(off the stares)

You guys got better snacks.

87 INT. GILLESPIE HALL - NIGHT 87

Troy scrolls through an endless amount of Facebook uploads

from the party. Forties, bad Afro wigs, fake asses.

Shoved in between two RICH OLD WELL TO DOS at a long table

covered in empty plates and glasses - Troy looks across to

his father, in mid exaggerated guffaw with President

Fletcher.

TROY:

Dad...

DEAN FAIRBANKS:

Not now Troy.

TROY:

It’s important. There’s something

happening on campus. I might’ve...

DEAN FAIRBANKS:

You’re being rude son.

Dean Fairbanks turns away. Troy ponders a moment and then-

TROY:

Oh am I? How about I tell your

precious donors and anyone here

who’ll listen about the kind of a

school it is they’re giving to?

The Dean can feel the eyes of the Donors and the President on

him - an outrage comes over him as he pulls Troy aside.

90.

DEAN FAIRBANKS:

I don’t know who you think you are

young man but you don’t get to talk

to your father any kind of way.

TROY:

All I say to you is yes sir and no

sir! Look I should’ve brought this

up before but --

(off Fairbanks dismissal)

-- listen to me!

Dean Fairbanks tries to cover this moment with a smile.

88 INT. KURT’S KITCHEN - NIGHT 88

Kurt, still dazed, huddles with his core Pastiche group.

KURT:

What?

GORDON:

Yeah dude. We all got it. I mean,

everything’s cool right?

A noise in the other room startles them...

88A LIVING ROOM 88A

...It’s Reggie who knocks over a bowl of chips. Dreads argues

with a few people. Martin rips shades off a kid’s face. The

party swarms with BSU kids and their Latino / Asian allies.

A SMASH yanks Kurt’s attention back to the kitchen...

88B KITCHEN 88B

...where Lionel smashes bottles of liquor in the sink.

KURT:

Lionel?

Kurt yanks the booze from Lionel and shoves him.

KURT (CONT’D)

The f*** you think you’re doing

man?

Lionel shoves Kurt into the bar divide. A few of the BSU kids

flood into the kitchen and hold Kurt back.

KURT (CONT’D)

That all you got?

91.

LIONEL:

We’re putting an end to this Kurt.

KURT:

F*** you I’m calling the cops.

MARTIN:

Half of this crowd is under 21.

A loud AMP sound alerts everyone to the DJ platform in the

Living Room.

88C LIVING ROOM 88C

Mitch has taken over the mic.

MITCH:

Gimme that mic

Before I slap ya

Looking for some dykes,

that wanna another chapta.

If you do me slow,

you can do me faster,

I’ll pass you to the Nigga on my

right, he gets you after.

LIONEL:

Kurt-

KURT:

-- Why don’t you tuck your tail

between your legs, run and tell the

Dean and get the f*** out.

Lionel sinks from this attack while his posse from BSU

watches helplessly as the party goes back into full swing.

Lionel turns to go and spots...

...George who joins Annie, fresh beer in hand. But right

behind George is...

...Sam, having just arrived with her camera in hand pointed

at the rap battle. She winks at Lionel.

Lionel turns around - summons something from deep inside.

Lionel steps onto the DJ platform and snatches the mic out of

one of the rapper’s hands.

LIONEL:

Heyyyy! Hoooo! Heyyy! Hooo!

92.

The crowd is with it - thinks it’s part of the show as Lionel

proceeds to freestyle terribly...

LIONEL (CONT’D)

My name is Lionel,

Some people call me Li.

Lots of people think

that I talk kinda white.

Well that’s alright.

Yeah that’s cool.

I’d rather you think I’m white,

than tap dance for you.

With that Lionel takes the mic and SMASHES it on the wall. He

then takes the turntable by his hands and flips it over.

Sparks fly - the amp goes crazy - the crowd is in shock.

Lionel grabs a speaker tower and slams it to the ground.

Lionel’s off the platform now. Kurt grabs him - Reggie pushes

Kurt away in his defense.

Gordon grabs Reggie - A FIGHT BREAKS OUT.

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