Panther Page #14

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HUEY:

I'm talking about survival. Yours,

mine, all of it. Outside and in. You

got to do something for me. Staying

alive might depend on it. The pigs

are gonna try to infiltrate us and

we're gonna let 'em. But their spy's

gonna be our spy too. How about it?

There's a pause as Judge chews on the grave proposition.

JUDGE:

Me? You've got a whole lot of other

folks signing up. Why me?

HUEY:

You fit the profile, Brother. You

look exactly like the kind of n*gger

they think they can trust...

EXT. GOVERNMENT BUILDING - WASH D.C. - DAY

A cold harsh building sits like a satisfied giant on the

Capitol street.

EXT. DIRECTOR'S OFFICE - DAY

Passing a SIGN on the door: FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION

DIRECTOR:
J.E. HOOVER.

The Uber-cop himself sits at the desk, his large watery eyes

scanning a TELETYPE. He presses an INTERCOM.

HOOVER:

Get me out man in Oakland...

EXT. PANTHER HQ - DAY

A HUGE LINE of NEW RECRUITS stretches outside the building.

INT. PANTHER HQ - DAY

Bobby and Tyrone stand there uncomfortably facing ALMA and a

platoon of SISTERS.

TYRONE:

Alma!? I uhh I don't think...

ALMA:

What do you mean? We're black ain't

we? And we care about improving the

plight of out people don't we? Or

you figure oppression stops at that

thing dangling between your legs!

TYRONE:

(looking to Bobby)

Uhh... I with it sister but...

ALMA:

But nothing, we want full fledged

membership in the Black Panther

Party... and none of this "Okay sugah

as long as you stay in the background

washing my socks and rubbing my feet"

bullshit either!

Bobby GRINS.

BOBBY:

I can dig that! If your down with

the Ten-Point-Program, sign up.

MONTAGE:

EXT. PANTHER HQ - DAY

Panthers place POSTERS of Bobby Seale and Huey in the

storefront window as JUDGE, ALMA, CY and TYRONE load LEAFLETS

into a VAN.

BOBBY:

(over)

There's a lot of work to be done.

INT. SCHOOL - DAY

Little Bobby Hutton lectures a group of school kids

INT. CHURCH BASEMENT - BREAKFAST PROGRAM - DAY

Judge's HAND ladles out porridge to a sea of hungry kids.

ALMA smiles across the room at them.

EXT. JUNKYARD - DAY

Tyrone and Cy watch as Judge holds an M1 RIFLE, lecturing

NEW RECRUITS. Each recruit has a DISASSEMBLED RIFLE. Judge

starts his stopwatch. The RECRUITS fumble with the rifles.

Suddenly a sound -- the perfect clicking and clacking of

metal on metal. ALMA assembles her rifle with lightning speed.

Still FUMBLING with their rifles, the other recruits stare

amazed at Alma. Judge checks the stopwatch... TWENTY SEVEN

SECONDS. Looking up, Judge and TYRONE'S EYES MEET.

EXT. FIFTY FIFTH AND MARKET - DAY

Judge takes his place DIRECTING TRAFFIC. Turning Judge LOCKS

EYES with RITA across the street. She looks worried.

END MONTAGE:

EXT. UC BERKELEY CAMPUS - DAY

Judge hawks RED BOOKS to park goers, engaging them in pro

panther banter. Black folk move away from him when they spot

BRIMMER, an obvious cop, striding toward Judge.

BRIMMER:

You're Judge right? We need to talk.

JUDGE:

I don't know you and I got nothing

to say to you.

BRIMMER:

(flashing his badge)

Yeah you do. It's up to you either

here or downtown.

Giving up, Judge walks with Brimmer listening as the cop

talks.

INT. CHURCH BASEMENT - DAY

Huey's COOKING BREAKFAST for the kids as Alma, Tyrone and

Little Bobby serve up bowls of porridge.

Passing the munching kids, Judge -- obviously excited --

moves over to Huey.

JUDGE:

(sotto voce)

They tried to recruit me. Just like

you figured.

Tyrone looks over,FROWNING. Huey signals him that everything's

cool.

HUEY:

(joking loudly)

You're a little old to be a school

boy aren't you brother.

(whispering)

Cool it! You're probably not the

only one they've gone after. Stall a

little so they believe you're for

real. Make them trust you.

(raising his voice)

Hey Tyrone, you figure feeding our

children is gonna make The Man jumpy?

TYRONE:

(bantering back)

Black people getting uppity, feeding

their children breakfast, taking

their destiny into their own hands.

What's this world coming to?

EXT. STREET - NIGHT

TITLE:
RICHMOND CALIFORNIA, APRIL 1, 1967

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