Malcolm X Page #24

EXT. OPEN AIR "MAID'S MARKET" - DAY

A place where black women come to offer themselves for day

work.

SEVERAL ARE SEEN. A WHITE WOMAN comes up to one to interview

her (bargain with her). Malcolm's voice is heard before he

is seen, speaking to the women from a ladder.

MALCOLM'S VOICE

My beautiful sister, for you are

beautiful. Beautiful because you are

black. Because black is beautiful.

You work in the white folks' kitchen

so I don't have to tell you that

they're devils.

CLOSE - MALCOLM

MALCOLM:

And you are putting yourselves on

the auction block, letting them

examine you like a horse, like a

slave. The Honorable Elijah Muhammad

teaches that you are black and should

be proud...

FACE OF ONE BLACK WOMAN, beginning to shake her head in

accord.

INT. TEMPLE #7 - NIGHT

The SAME WOMAN, now at a Muslim meeting. The faces of other

listeners (from the church and from the maids' market) are

scattered in Malcolm's audience.

The headquarters itself shows the progress Malcolm has made.

It is better furnished, larger, and the chairs are filled.

Bembry, Sidney, and Lorraine are in the back of the room,

pleased with the growth.

Malcolm stands at a podium.

MALCOLM:

We're not American, we're Africans

who happen to be in America. We were

kidnapped and brought here against

our will from Africa. We didn't land

on Plymouth Rock, brothers and sister.

Plymouth Rock landed on us.

Reactions:
laughter, interest. Ad lib "That's the truth."

MALCOLM:

Put an end to your begging. No more

"Please, Mr. White Man, Lawdy boss,

brush me another crumb from off your

table, kindly, sir." We are a nation,

a great nation and don't need a thing

from them.

Malcolm scanning the faces of his audience as they react. He

sees someone he knows and blurts out boyishly (and winningly):

MALCOLM:

Shorty!

The crowd turns to Shorty, sitting embarrassedly in the

audience.

MALCOLM:

Come on up here, man, and give us

some skin. Here's a man, brothers

and sisters, who shot up with me,

who robbed with me, and did time in

the white devil's jailhouse. Stand

up, Shorty, and be counted --

But Shorty is trying to hide from the spotlight. Malcolm

comes down from the platform and walks to him.

MALCOLM:

Folks, the brother is shy and needs

special attention. So would you excuse

us, while Brothers Sidney and Earl

take up the collection.

He embraces Shorty as the crowd laughs appreciatively and

Brothers Sidney and Earl have a chuckle themselves.

INT. MUSLIM CAFETERIA - NIGHT

Shortly and Malcolm sit at a table. Shorty has a cup of coffee

in front of him.

SHORTY:

I got to hand it to you, Homey. That's

the best preacher hype I ever did

hear.

MALCOLM:

It isn't a hype, Shorty. And I meant

what I said:
join us.

SHORTY:

Come on, baby. I don't pay that sh*t

no mind.

MALCOLM:

The Honorable Elijah Muhammad says

you should pay it all your mind. If

you got a mind.

SHORTY:

Baby, I love you. Take it easy,

greasy. How about a snort?

MALCOLM:

I've been clean for twelve years,

Shorty.

SHORTY:

You is something, Homeboy. My trouble

is -- I ain't had enough stuff yet,

I ain't et all the ribs I want and I

sure ain't had enough white tail

yet.

MALCOLM:

How's the rest of the gang? You seen

anyone?

SHORTY:

Well, Sammy's dead. Yeah, fell over

in the bed with a chick twenty years

younger than him. Had twenty-five

grand in his pocket.

INSERT FLASH - Sammy, he's dead on top of TEENAGE WHORE who

is screaming, trying to push that dead weight off her.

MALCOLM'S VOICE

How about Old Cadillac?

INSERT FLASH - Cadillac is an old junkie, past reclaiming,

sitting staring in a MENTAL WARD, twitching, nose running.

SHORTY'S VOICE

Hooked on horse. Been in and out of

Lexington Ave times.

MALCOLM'S VOICE

You seen Sophia?

INSERT FLASH - Sophia is a bored housewife, she's in the

kitchen cooking while her husband hides behind the Wall Street

Journal.

BACK TO THE BAR:

SHORTY:

I ain't seen Archie, but the vine

tells it he's living somewhere's in

the Bronx. If you can call it living.

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