The Watsons Go to Birmingham Page #5

Four hours... good morning, Kenny.

Good morning, Momma.

Good morning, Joey.

Good morning, Grandma Sands.

You sleep all right?

It was really hot.

I know, I was sweating all night.

Well, what about Calla Lilly Lincoln?

I always wondered what she's doing?

'Lona, didn't I write

you about that?

She and her family moved, too.

Lots of folks are leaving town.

And what about you, Momma?

You think you be all right

up here by yourself?

Now you know you can

always move in with us.

Child, you know I

ain't going nowhere.

This is my home. Ain't nobody

gonna run me out of here.

Plus, I got Robert to look after.

Robert...

Mr. Robert seems like a

nice enough man, but...

I was wondering when we

was gonna get to that.

Robert and I have been good friends

since right after y'all left for Flint.

Good friends, but when

did he move in here?

Wilona Sands, what is it

that's bothering you?

Why don't you just say

what's on your mind?

I just don't understand why you

never told me he was living here.

I mean, where's his house?

'Lona, things are different from

what they were when you left here.

Everything is changing.

Your daddy's been gone for almost 20 years

now and Robert is my dearest friend.

I like having him around.

He protects this house,

him and that dog.

Mr. Robert's gonna show us around downtown,

and Joey and Kenny, you're coming.

So, Kenny, finish up and go get dressed, and

leave these two alone, let them catch up.

Hurry up, go, go, go!

Come on!

This is good.

Y'all have a nice time now!

It's just gonna take

me a little while.

Oh, come on!

Hey, what's that smell?

Fried onions, burgers, hot

dogs and french fries.

Hot dogs? Let's go!

They smell good.

Hi, my family's right behind us, so

we should have five hot dogs, please.

And can we have a side of french

fries with each hot dog? Thank you.

Y'all aren't from

around here, are you?

Was it my accent that gave me way?

See, we don't serve your kind here.

You're gonna have to go around

back to get something to eat.

Now y'all better get on.

What?

Sorry, ma'am, these boys,

they're from Michigan.

They don't know how we do things down

here in Birmingham. Come on, y'all.

Why? I want a hot dog.

Let's go, boy, you heard

Mr. Robert. Let's go, now!

But she said go around back.

I want a hot dog right here,

right now. What's the problem?

Boy, you better get up off your seat.

We done told you nice. Now get out!

Margaret, you don't need to talk to them

like that. They're not from around here.

Please, outsiders come around

all the time startin' trouble.

Now you go on before I have to call

the police and have you arrested.

I was so confused. I couldn't

figure out why the lady was so mad.

What did we do to her?

Come on!

Man, I'm going back there and I'm

throwing a rock through their window!

If Buphead were down here,

we'd tear that store up!

Byron! Violence is not the answer.

I don't care, that was wrong!

Well, you better care!

This is for real down here and if you don't

follow the rules, you can get seriously hurt!

So while we're down here,

follow the rules, period!

And Kenny, you just need to know what

the rules are and you'll be okay.

You just stay out of white

folks' way, you be all right.

Man, how do I know if I'm in their way,

when I just wanted to buy a hot dog?

Well, you'll get used to it.

I don't think so.

Mr. Robert, where can we go to fish and swim

and do something to pick up our spirits?

Great minds think alike, Daniel.

She was the prettiest little thing. She

just went screaming like a little pig.

I thought they gave

me the wrong baby.

Oh, here they are.

Did y'all have a good time?

Uh, we had a little incident, but Mr. Robert

showed us where they fish and swim...

- which seemed to help.

- An incident?

Robert, you didn't take them down

to Collier's Landing, did you?

Well, now, Gloria, you know I'm not gonna take

your grandkids anywhere near Collier's Landing.

I know you'd never forgive me

if these kids was to get hurt.

You got that right.

Children, now you remember, stay

away from Collier's Landing.

That whirlpool in that water

is dangerous, you hear me?

What's a Wooh Pooh?

Hi, Marlene, how are you?

Children, come on over here

and say hi to your cousins.

They've been waiting to meet you.

Hi.

Why don't y'all go play down by those swings

I had Robert put in before you got here.

- What incident?

- Robert, what did you do?

- Well, we were just walking.

- Down at that diner.

What happened to your leg?

Oh, I got hurt during the marches.

You marched? I saw that on TV.

What were you doing out there?

We were fighting for an equal

education, an equal life.

As Junior and Sarah were telling

us about how they marched...

I could vividly picture

what they went through.

Whoo! Good morning, boys and girls!

It's Pauly the "Catman" Carter on WENN.

Make sure you grab

your toothbrush...

head on down to the party

at Kelly Ingram Park.

Why bring your toothbrush you ask?

Cuz lunch will be served!

Hey, wait, I want to march, too.

Let me go today, see how

everything turns out.

You can go tomorrow if

everything goes okay.

What in the world?

Students! When I turn my back, for those of

you who want to leave, I won't stop you.

And since I won't

see you walk out...

I won't be able to mark you absent.

Everybody was so excited

about the march...

that we couldn't keep the

kids away, not even Sarah.

All right, amen.

As Dr. Martin Luther King

has said countless times.

Non-violence is the

key in the fight...

to break the bondage of oppression.

Amen.

In Birmingham, that oppression has

manifested a segregation in our schools...

our stores and our lunch counters.

And when the world sees

you walking in peace...

praying for justice,

segregation will fall.

When Birmingham becomes more equal, the

entire country becomes more equal.

You have the power

to make that happen!

Now when you exit the doors,

we will walk north of 6th Avenue...

and you will go out

in groups of 50.

Now the goal of this march

is to get arrested.

Now when the police approach, you

go with him in peace, no violence.

Our progress in gaining freedom

depends on your ability...

to refrain from any

acts of violence.

You must remove anything that might

appear to be a weapon. Switchblades...

No knives, even a fancy comb or a nail

file could be considered a weapon.

So be sure to throw it all here in

this barrel in front of the church.

Are you ready to move for justice?

Yeah!

Let me hear you move for justice!

All right, ain't gonna let

nobody turn me around!

Turn me around! Turn me around!

Ain't gonna let nobody

turn me around!

Turn me around!

Turn me around!

Ain't gonna let nobody turn me around!

I'm gonna keep on walking.

Thank you, darling.

My brother!

Thank you, brother!

Now! Right now, my brothers and sisters!

Now we're ready.

I couldn't believe

these were my cousins.

They'd experienced things

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