Lean on Me Page #8

All right, people.

Here we are.

This is the day.

In one hour,

you're going to take an exam

administered by the state

to test your basic skills

and the quality of education

at eastside high.

And i want to tell you

what the people out there

are saying about you

and what they think

about your chances.

They say you are inferior.

Come on!

Come on!

Come on! Come on!

"You are just a bunch of n*ggers

and spics and poor white trash."

"Education is wasted on you."

"You cannot learn!"

You're lost!

I mean all of you.

I want all the white students

to stand up.

All my white students,

stand up.

Come on.

Stand up.

Stand up.

That's it.

Come on, stand up.

These are my white children,

and they're the same

as all of you.

They've got no place to go.

Otherwise, they would have

abandoned us a long time ago,

but they couldn't.

So here they are at eastside,

just like the rest of us.

You can sit down.

Are you getting my point,

people?

Yes!

Is it sinking in?

Yes!

We sink, we swim.

We rise, we fall.

We meet our fate together!

Now, it took the help

of a good, good friend

to make me know

and understand that,

and i do understand it,

and i'm grateful.

I'm eternally grateful.

And i've got a message

for those people out there

who've abandoned you

and written you off.

Can you hear me?

Yes!

Can you hear me?

Yes!

Good!

You are not inferior!

Your grades may be.

Your school may have been.

But you can turn that around

and make liars

out of those bastards

in exactly one hour!

You'll take that test,

pass it, and win!

So here's what

i want you to do.

When you find

your minds wandering,

i want you to knuckle back down

and concentrate.

Concentrate!

Remember what's at stake

and show them what eastside high

is all about-

a spirit that will not die!

Sometimes in our lives

we all have pain

we all have sorrow

but if we are wise

we know that there's

always tomorrow

lean on me

when you're not strong

and i'll be your friend?

I'll help you carry on

for it won't be long

till i'm gonna need

somebody to lean on

you just call

on me, brother

when you need a hand

we all need somebody

to lean on

i just might have a problem?

That you'll understand

we all need somebody

to lean on

why don't you

lean on me?

Lean on me

if you need a friend

you can lean on me

i'll be your friend

lean on me

you can lean on me

come on

and lean on me

lean on me

you can lean on me

please, won't you

swallow your pride?

If i have things

you need to borrow

for no one can fill

those of your needs

that you won't let go

why don't you

just lean on?

Anytime

lean on

come on and lean on

lean on me,

you can lean on me

if you need a friend

lean on me

you can lean on me

and if you got a problem

you can lean on me

i'm your problem solver?

You can lean on me

why don't you lean?

Lean on me

uh-huh

come on and lean on me

you can lean on me

call on me, brother

you can lean on me

sister, give me your hand

lean on me,

you can lean on me

you can, you can, you can

lean on me,

you can lean on me

swallow up your pride

lean on me,

you can lean on...

please, children, people

lean on me, oh

eastside!

Eastside! Eastside!

Eastside! Eastside!

Eastside!

Eastside! Eastside!

Eastside!

Eastside! Eastside! Eastside!

Eastside...

dum dum-dum-dum-dum

dum-dum-dum-dum

dum-dum-dum dum-dum

dum-dum

sometimes in our lives

we all have pain

we all have sorrow

dum-dum-dum

but if we are wise

we know that there's

always tomorrow

i told you

these things take time.

Just how long

am i supposed to wait?

You boys are messing

with the wrong female.

He won't

let me in.

What's

going on?

Would you

talk to her?

I thought

we had made a deal.

Don't broadcast it

all over town.

I have got a school board

meeting tonight

and enough votes

to get clark kicked out

if i can prove

he's chained those doors.

We can get that

if you move on him today.

Chief gaines

already tried that.

Bullshit! I've made

promises of my own.

I've got people

with me right now.

If i can't deliver-

just a minute.

And i do not issue

idle threats.

Then don't, because

i don't want to hear it.

Ok, chief.

Mrs. Barrett was

promised some action.

I think it's time

we get a court order

and get you past

those guards.

Sounds good to me.

He ain't

worth it.

Jerk.

That's right.

He's a jerk.

I told you that.

You don't listen

to me.

What are you two ladies

doing in here?

Lillian, aren't you supposed

to be in class?

Huh?

Kaneesha?

What's going on

here?

Lillian?

What is

this?

You'll have to

ask her.

Kaneesha,

what's the matter?

I got pregnant.

Please don't

be mad at me.

Let me talk

to her alone.

Did you tell

your mother?

I can't.

Reggie's

the father?

He says it's not his,

but i know it is.

I've never been

with no other boys.

I never meant

for this to happen.

You girls never do.

So many of you bringing

babies into this world

just to prove you can

accomplish something.

And you're doing

so well now, kaneesha.

There are other

alternatives.

I'm scared.

I don't know what to do.

I'll tell you

what we'll do.

We'll have your mother

come to the school.

We'll put our heads

together.

I'm sure we'll be able

to help you decide

what's best for you

to do. Trust me?

Mr. Clark!

8:
00 a.m.

I'll call your mother.

What is it?

The fire chief.

He got past

the gate.

Code 10! Get those

chains off the door!

The enemy's

here!

We got it locked,

mr. Clark.

Mr. Clark,

you're under arrest.

For what?

Basically

for being an a**hole.

Specifically for conspiracy

to violate of the fire code.

I got no problem

with the fire code.

The only problem here

is you.

And your problem

is your mouth.

Joe:
Get those chains

off the doors!

The enemy's here!

Guard:
We got it

locked, mr. Clark.

Cuff him!

Hey, mr. Clark!

What's this

all about?

It's about someone finally

standing up to this man

instead of taking

his orders like a maid.

How dare you

speak like that!

Mrs. Barrett-

shut up!

You're finished!

The school board

will hear this at 7:00,

and we'll vote

your black ass out.

Yo, b*tch,

vote on this!

You go to class!

You're

acting principal now.

I expect you

to perform as i would.

What-

what's going on?

What did you

do?

I chained the doors.

You break the law,

you pay the price.

We still got to

go to class?

Yes. All of you,

get back to class! Now!

Mr. Clark...

go on!

Who will look

after the school?

Go on!

Get back to class!

Get back in there,

all of you! Go on!

Ms. Levias,

they're your responsibility!

I guess we ought to

be getting out of here, joe.

That school board meeting's

about to begin.

Do whatever we can.

Have you thought about

a new line of work?

Perhaps an exciting career

in electronics?

It's just

a little joke.

I'm going.

I've got

no complaints, joe.

As far

as i'm concerned,

what you accomplished

down at that school

was a goddamn miracle.

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