Dear White People Page #9

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Coco a bit embarrassed scans the view count.

SAM:

A Nose-job’s worst fear is that

their “Blackness” might cause a

fuss or draw undue attention so

they apologize for it or use it to

self deprecate.

COCO:

Forty thousand views already?

GORDON:

Looks like someone submitted you to

Buzzfeed. Taking off...

Coco leans over them and scrolls down. The first comment is

from a HELMUT:
“Much better...” Coco soaks this in.

MITCH:

You wan’ a drink a sun’in?

COCO:

Let me guess you’re from Ohio?

MITCH:

Vermont.

GORDON:

What do you have against Dear White

People?

Coco smiles and slyly clicks to her next video.

COCO (YOUTUBE)

Dear White People. How do I feel

about it? Well for one it’s Blacker

than thou propaganda from a bougie

Lisa Bonet wannabe who smells like

patchouli and frankly I can’t

believe we’re letting Sam get away

with it.

49.

Mitch and Gordon’s mouths are ajar. Coco studies the view

count...26,758. A pride strikes Coco.

43 INT. SAM’S APARTMENT - NIGHT 43

As the impromptu party dies down...

SUNGMI:

Okay and One Hundred?

REGGIE:

Keeping it One-Hundred! Being Black

as hell just cause.

Sam rolls her eyes.

SUNGMI:

But what about just being you?

SAM:

Like I said...

44 INT. NEWSROOM - NIGHT 44

Lionel’s got the eyes of the Bullpen on him. Annie’s really

warmed to him - her hands play with his afro.

ANNIE:

You don’t mind do you?

SAM (V.O.)

There’s only a few ways a person of

a color can survive at a place like

this...

LIONEL:

Of course not.

GEORGE:

Alright so then what?

LIONEL:

So then Sam says “What, is your

daddy scared the Negroes are gonna

start a rebellion on the

plantation?”

George goes CRAZY at this.

GEORGE:

To Kurt Fletcher!?

LIONEL:

Yeah. Yes. Yup.

50.

GEORGE:

We’ve got a news item but there’s

something bigger here. It’s a

profile piece on Armstrong / Parker

and Sam White’s pseudo revolution.

ANNIE:

What’s the headline?

LIONEL:

Outdated nationalist seeks purpose

starts race war?

Lionel’s joke hits, but he feels gross for saying it.

The image of Sam shaking her head in the dinner FLASHES

before Lionel briefly.

GEORGE:

Beers in the corner. Bang out the

news item tonight and we’ll work on

the profile piece for next week.

Lionel grabs a beer and takes a seat at one of the open

computers. George starts up a beat on his desk as he and

Annie stare at Lionel expectantly.

LIONEL:

What are you doing?

ANNIE:

All Bugle staffer must freestyle.

It’s law.

GEORGE:

You want to be a staffer right?

LIONEL:

(awkward)

My name is Lionel

Kind of like a lion

King of the jungle

Indigenous to Africa...

The beat has long since stopped.

LIONEL (CONT’D)

Sorry.

45 INT. KURT’S KITCHEN - NIGHT 45

Troy heads into the kitchen just as Kurt heads out.

51.

TROY:

Yo man, you know I wasn’t talking

about Sof back there with whole

forty b*tches thing. I was just --

KURT:

-- trying to get on my staff?

TROY:

I never really thought about -

KURT:

-- Bullshit. Game Night is where we

make our bids for the new staff.

It’s why everyone’s here. You were

practically about to bust out a tap

dance.

TROY:

I’m a Poly Sci major man. I just

came to hang out.

KURT:

My staff likes you. A lot.

TROY:

But you don’t.

KURT:

This thing with you and Sof...

TROY:

I’m good to her.

KURT:

Our dad’s have been playing a game

of chess off and on since 1972.

TROY:

What and Sof is the White queen?

KURT:

You’re a pawn. And I think it’s

time you get off the board bro.

Troy takes this in.

KURT (CONT’D)

Here’s the deal. Every year we

throw a party. The point is to mock

the self important and moronic

entities of the campus. The way to

get staffed is to write an invite

for the party.

(MORE)

52.

KURT (CONT’D)

Our invites are legendary, we make

Gawker, the Post, tons of blogs

every year. If your invite is the

one that goes out, you’re

guaranteed a spot on the staff. The

runners up are voted on by the rest

of us.

Troy catches eyes with Coco who gives him a seductive glance.

45A LIVING ROOM 45A

Coco turns back to her now enamored crowd. She’s in her

element with these boys at her feet.

COCO:

I just think having good hair and

carrying on with a degree of

sophistication doesn’t make me a

traitor to the race.

MITCH:

Want to know why they used to call

me Black Mitch?

GORDON COCO:

Absolutely not. No one called you that.

KITCHEN:

Just as Gordon, Mitch and Coco approach...

TROY:

Okay. And what’s this year’s theme?

Kurt rolls his eyes instinctively.

KURT:

Still working on that...

TROY:

The party’s a couple weeks away.

GORDON:

Yo Kurt. I want you to meet

someone.

COCO:

You guys got a party coming up?

Coco smiles at Kurt, before flicking her eyes over Troy.

53.

46 INT. SAM’S APARTMENT - NIGHT 46

Sungmi is one of the last to clear out of Sam’s apartment as

the party winds down.

SUNGMI:

Hey, about the rally. You could

still get the permit anyway Sam and

go against the board. Most people

consider that political suicide

though.

REGGIE:

We got to rally Sam. Time is now.

SAM:

Use your head Reggie. You think a

rally is going to change things?

REGGIE:

It’ll do a hell of a lot more than

a radio show or views on Youtube.

Everyone gets quiet. Sungmi takes this time to exit.

REGGIE (CONT’D)

Look, we got power Sam and it’s

time we used it. We earned it.

SAM:

We? I didn’t see you running for

sh*t Reggie.

The Bofros trade looks as Reggie storms out. Sam waits a beat

and rolls her eyes.

47 EXT. ARMSTRONG / PARKER QUAD - NIGHT 47

Sam walks after Reggie.

REGGIE:

Tired.

SAM:

Don’t “one word” me.

REGGIE:

Why you got to snap at me all the

time? I’m around you like twenty

four seven. Like your lap dog. I

don’t even usually get down like

that with no red bone chicks man.

54.

SAM:

Don’t call me that.

REGGIE:

Come on, I thought your ass was

Puerto Rican when I met you.

Sam turns to go.

REGGIE (CONT’D)

Oh so you can dish it out but you

can’t take it?

SAM:

I’m taking my ass home.

REGGIE:

Come on Sam. You know how I feel

about you.

SAM:

How am I supposed to know how you

feel about me?

REGGIE:

You know what? Forgive me if I see

something in you. Something

inspiring. Something folks like me

can get behind.

Reggie puts his hands on Sam’s belt and pulls her in to a

kiss as a group walks by. Over Reggie’s shoulder Sam sees...

...Gabe look back at her. He’s heartbroken. She pretends not

to be affected and sinks into a kiss from Reggie.

REGGIE (CONT’D)

Tell me you’ll set up the rally.

SAM:

I’ll set up the rally.

48 INT. KURT’S KITCHEN - NIGHT 48

Kurt, Gordon, Mitch, Coco and Troy all trade glances.

GORDON:

Are we sure about this?

KURT:

It’s ironic. Bold. And don’t tell

me I’m the only one who thinks Sam

White’s little movement needs to

get cut down to size.

55.

Agreement Coco’s gaze. Uncertainty in Troy’s.

KURT (CONT’D)

Looks like you got your Hip Hop

party Mitch.

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