The Hurricane Page #2

to stop this young man's education...

because you can't find some

goddamn high school records?

Yep, that's exactly what

I'm doing, Mr. Broden.

I'm not asking you

to make an exception.

I'm asking you to do your job, which is

different, but I thank you for it anyway.

Sh*t.

Political Science 101.

That art

of gentle persuasion.

Never mind 101.

I need a smoke.

So how was the book sale? Great.

There. Did you get The Other America?

Uh, I couldn't find The

Other America, but I got you-

Sam, Robertson Davies, R.D. Laing.

Don't piss me off today. It's a

book sale, Lisa, not a library.

Whatever.

Hey, look, Lisa.

Got this one right here for

25 cent. The Sixteenth Round.

Oh, your first book, huh?

Yeah.

"Rubin 'Hurricane' Carter. "

Hurricane is the professional

name I acquired later on in life.

Carteris the slave name that

was given to my forefathers...

who worked in the cotton fields

of Alabama and Georgia...

and was passed on to me.

The kindest thing I can say

about my childhood...

is that I survived it.

Paterson was a run-down town,

a poor and violent place.

The only way to survive was to know how

to handle yourself, and I learned fast.

Hurry up!

Hurry up!

Get out of here! Let's

go! Let's get out of here!

Hold on.

Wait, wait, wait.

Take this out.

Hey, Donnique,

go for a swim!

Hello, boys.

Wanna see

something?

Huh?

Isn't that pretty?

You like that?

What's your name?

Donnique.

Donnique?

That's a pretty name,

Donnique.

You wanna be good to me,

sugar?

H- H-Hey, mister!

L- Leave him alone!

I wouldn't hurt

your friend.

Would I?

You don't need to be afraid,

Donnique.

You're pretty.

How old are you?

Ten.

Ten?

I said,

leave him alone!

Run! Run!

Come on!

Get outta here!

You little bastard.

Let's get outta here!

Black bastard!

Goddamn it!

Please, mister!

Put me down!

Shut up,

you son of a b*tch!

Put me down!

Ow!

I didn't

- didn't do nothin'! Come on, let's go.

I didn't- I

didn't- Shut up.

I didn't do nothin'.

Come on, you-

No!

Get in there.

It wasn't me!

I didn't do nothin'.

Sit down, kid.

What have we got here?

It's a juvenile case.

He's a kid, Sarge.

He's only 11 years old.

It's a n*gger

with a knife.

I don't care

how old he is.

Take care of it.

We know you were at the falls last

week, and we know what happened.

You're gonna talk,

you little son of a b*tch.

You'll be making speeches when I

get through with your black ass.

Ralph. Ralph.

I'm Sergeant Detective

Della Pesca.

You wanna tell me

what happened?

What is it, you were trying

to rob this man's gold watch,

he fought back

and so you stabbed him?

Is that pretty much it?

I- I-I...

didn't do nothing.

Let me tell you something,

sunshine.

The man you stabbed...

is a very important member

of this community,

and you are going down.

Do you see?

And I am gonna see to it personally.

As for you, Rubin Carter,

you're a menace to society.

If something isn't done about you soon,

you'll become a dangerous man in later life.

I only wish you were old enough I

could send you to the state prison.

I there fore

sentence you...

to the state home for boys

in Jamesburg...

from this day

till you're 21 years of age.

So be it.

Jamesburg was

a place of horror...

that I would be forever sorry

to have known existed.

It was there that I spent the next eight

years learning how to maim, butcher...

and fight for my survival.

I don't get what's going on.

I'm the boy's father.

I'll take care of him.

I don't know what you people-

I mean, what's it to you?

Mr. Martin, we've gotten to know

Lesra over the past few weeks.

I gotta tell you, he's got more

natural ability and enthusiasm...

than just about any kid

I've ever worked with.

So when he told us

he wanted to go to college,

we figured that's the way

it was gonna be.

Well,

I know he's smart.

There's no doubt about that,

but, uh,

he can't read,

Mrs. Martin.

But we think

we could teach him.

I mean, within two years, with a lot of

work we could get him ready for college.

Well, that school's

sure not doing it.

Now wait.

I am that boy's father.

But if they can give him

- They're talking to me, Alma.

Uh, Mr. Martin,

we've got plenty of room.

If Lesra wants to learn,

then we can teach him.

If you don't want that that's up to you,

but no one is trying to replace you, sir.

This what you want, boy?

I wanna go to college.

If that's what it's gon' take,

then yeah.

It don't seem right.

Why you gotta go,

Lesra?

Don't you want me to go,

El?

You should be here

backin' me up.

Leave the boy, Elston.

Lesra goin' to Toronto now.

Got a job to do.

Wants to go to college.

After eight years

at Jamesburg,

I escaped.

I was angry,

embittered with life.

I ran as if on a cloud,

unaware of how high I was stepping

or of anything else around me.

There was room in my head

for only one word, one thought..

freedom.

I ran straight into the U.S. Army

and a pair of paratrooper wings.

My whole life changed.

I learned that knowledge

of self and kind...

is the only true means to the

liberation of the blackman.

I could do anything.

I overcame my stutter.

I became a prizefighter.

I came back to Paterson the

all-Army European welterweight champ.

Let me have a soda,

please.

Judy, who's

that fine soldier...

standing over there

at the bar?

Oh, he's a local boy.

Rubin Carter, I think.

Make it two.

I think he's comin'

over here.

Uh-oh. Stay cool.

Mm-mmm!

I'm back. Mmm, so you missed me, did you?

So, tell me-

Well, what do you

want to know?

You're in my seat.

Uh, you know,

I'm from Georgia,

and I was thinkin'

that afterwards...

you and me-

You're in my seat,

country.

I don't see your name

anywhere.

That's 'cause you blinded by the

ass-kickin' I'm about to put on you.

Now get up

out of my seat.

Come on. Take it easy.

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Calm down.

Let that motherf***er go. Stop it.

You wanna come over

and dance with me?

Hey, I'm talkin' to you. Hmm?

Oh, you wanna fight, or you

wanna dance? He ain't worth it.

Yeah, you wanna dance.

Come on.

Probably got a lot

of hostility up in him.

Should I let myself go

In his direction

Oooh-ahh Come on, sweet thing.

Is his love

strong enough

Oooh-ahh

Come back here.

Formy heart's

protection

Oooh-ahh

I don't know I don't know I don't know

I don't know I don't know I don't know

You dance nice. But he loves me so good

Thank you. Till I think I should Oh-oh

Oooh-ahh

If I gave him

my heart

These hands are meant

for more than just fighting.

Would he refuse it

Would he tear it apart

Or tenderly use it

Her name was Mae Thelma.

I don't know She was the

prettiest woman I had ever seen.

I don't know I don't know I don't know

But he hugs me so tight

Till I think I might

Oh-oh

You got a girl around?

No.

I ain't got no girl.

No?

Well, I had a good time

with you tonight.

Mae Thelma,

is that you?

Yeah, Mama,

I'll be right up.

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