Malcolm X Page #36

BETTY:

"Both women, in their 20's, charged

they had had intimacies with Elijah

Muhammad since 1957..."

MALCOLM:

I was going to talk to Bembry about

it tonight.

BETTY:

To Bembry? Is Bembry your friend?

MALCOLM:

Woman, have you lost your mind? What's

the matter with you?

Betty gets up, goes to him gently.

BETTY:

No, what's the matter with you? Wake

up! Are you so dedicated that you

have blinded yourself? Are you so

committed you cannot face the truth?

Bembry is the editor of the newspaper

you established. Ask him why your

name hasn't been in "Muhammad Speaks"

in over a year? Ask him why you rate

front page in every paper in the

country, but not a single sentence

in your own.

MALCOLM:

(rationalizing)

I'm not interested in personal

publicity. Our people know what I'm

doing.

BETTY:

Do you know what Bembry is doing?

You're so blind, everyone can see

this but you!!!

MALCOLM:

Bembry saved my Life. The Honorable

Elijah Muhammad saved my life.

BETTY:

A long time ago. You've repaid them

many times over. Ask them why they

have new cars and houses full of new

furniture.

MALCOLM:

Is that what this is about? Material

wealth?

BETTY:

What do we have, Malcolm. A broken-

down jalopy and the clothes on our

backs. We don't even own our own

home. What about our children? What

about me? You don't even own life

insurance.

MALCOLM:

The Nation will provide for you and

the children if anything happens to

me.

BETTY:

Will they? Are you sure? Are you

sure or are you blind?

She touches him very gently.

BETTY:

Dear heart, you have to help me. I'm

raising our kids practically by

myself, while you're running all

over the world. You don't know how

many times the girls ask me when is

daddy coming home?

MALCOLM:

What do you want me to do? Our people

need me.

BETTY:

We need you too!

MALCOLM:

What do you want me to do?

BETTY:

Open your eyes, you can face death

24 hours a day; but the possibility

of betrayal never enters your mind.

If you won't do that for yourself do

it for us.

DETECTIVE MONTAGE

Malcolm knocks on the door of Evelyn Williams, one of the

two secretaries/wives. She opens the door and has child in

her arms.

ANGLE - APARTMENT

SISTER EVELYN:

Her name is Eva Marie, she's 2 years

old. Brother Minister, I did nothing

wrong. I did nothing to be put in

isolation. I believed in him. I

believed in the Honorable Elijah

Muhammad.

CLOSE - MALCOLM

He cannot believe what he is hearing, but he must. The truth

is before his eyes.

MALCOLM:

Sister Evelyn, believe in Allah.

CUT TO:

INT. SISTER LUCILLE'S ROSARY APT. - DAY

ANGLE - MALCOLM

Malcolm is sitting holding both of the children. Sister

Lucille who is pregnant with 3rd child waddles across the

room to sit down on the sofa with him. She picks up one of

the kids from him.

ANGLE - SISTER LUCILLE

SISTER LUCILLE:

This is Saudi, she's 3 and you have

Lisha, she's 2. Brother Minister the

Honorable Elijah Muhammad is the

father of my 3 children.

She touches her pregnant stomach.

SISTER LUCILLE:

Brother Minister he often talked

about you. He loves you, loves you

like his own son. Says you are the

best, his greatest Minister but that

someday you would leave him and turn

against him.

CLOSE - MALCOLM

MALCOLM:

He told you that?

SISTER LUCILLE:

Yes sir.

MALCOLM:

Are you sure?

SISTER LUCILLE:

Yes, I am, Brother Minister. All I

want is support for my children. He

should provide for his children.

That's all I want.

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