The Watsons Go to Birmingham Page #6

I'd only ever seen on TV.

That was Day One.

D-Day.

Everybody was talking about how

successful the marches were.

Like 1,000 kids went to jail.

Junior and I didn't get arrested.

There were so many kids from all

over the Birmingham area...

that not everybody could

get arrested in one day.

So Sarah and I went back the next

day, Naomi even came with us.

Our whole class was there.

That was Double D-Day.

Then... everything went wild.

They turned the fire hoses

and the dogs on us.

Weren't you scared?

Our freedom was more

important than anything.

You keep saying that.

What do you mean?

I mean, we want to be equal.

We want everything

the white kids get.

We get their old books. We get their old uniforms

for sports when they get everything new.

They're always gonna be ahead,

because they get everything first.

But people got hurt.

Sometimes people get hurt in a fight, but

you still gotta do what you gotta do.

Did you end up in jail?

For almost two weeks.

- Two weeks?

- Well, what about school?

What did your parents do?

My parents supported us.

They were kind of proud of

us, so were our teachers.

Proud of you for going to jail?

I could see the wheels

turning in Byron's head.

If he could make Momma and Daddy proud of

him for going to jail, he was gonna try.

So what's the story now?

Are you all still marching?

We'll see. Some folks are still trying

to keep us out of their schools.

But the law now says they have to.

The law don't matter to some folks. They try

to keep us out, we'll just march again.

Cool. I'd go out

there with you guys.

Slow down, stay together now.

Come on.

Good afternoon, I'd like four

tickets to "To Kill a Mockingbird".

One dollar.

Thank you. You know where

the entrance is, right?

Yeah, I believe I do.

I'm sorry, you know, if it was up to

me, we'd all go through the same door.

Yeah, I understand.

Well, enjoy the show.

Thank you.

Wait, this way, this

way, right around here.

And stay together, okay?

It's this door right here.

Here, let me get ahead of you.

Come on. Come on.

There you go.

Come on. Come on, boy.

Down here.

I think we're right here.

You and me can hare this one.

I couldn't understand

why white folks...

would put colored people right over their

heads when they treated them so mean.

I know what you're thinking.

Don't do it.

That's the film.

Wait a minute.

You know, by the time you wake

up, I'll be halfway home.

Yeah.

So I'm gonna need you to be the man

of this household while I'm gone.

Can you do that for me?

I know you can, but will you?

What do you mean?

I mean, I don't like leaving my family

down here in the segregated south...

not without me, but I

don't have a choice.

I gotta go to work and your mother wants

to spend some time with her mother.

So what do you need from me?

I want you to think before you act.

Because your actions have

real consequences down here.

You are the one I

know I can count on.

Your mother and I are hard on you, because

we see the potential that you have.

You know, if you worked at it, you'd

be just as good as Kenny is at school.

Kenny is just a kid, so, please,

keep an eye on him for me.

I think Birmingham's been

hard on him, all right?

All right.

I couldn't believe how

fast things had changed.

Now Dad was trusting

Byron to look after me?

I had to show them I could

take care of myself.

And that I wasn't just

Poindexter the punk.

Oh, man, Collier's Landing!

Let's go!

Uh-uh, Kenny!

You heard what Grandma Sands said about

that little boy who got lost in the water.

Even Sarah said it isn't safe.

What is that thing called

that she said got him?

Didn't you hear what

she said, Joey?

She said he got caught

by the Wooh Pooh.

Is that a fish?

Uh-uh, you know who Winnie

the Pooh is, don't you?

Mm-hm.

Well, the Wooh Pooh is

Winnie's evil twin brother.

Don't no one ever write about him, because

they don't want to scare y'all kids.

And what he does, is hide in the water

and snatches stupid kids down with him.

Now if Kenny wants to take his stupid, little

behind down there and get snatched, let him.

Even our cousin said they

don't swim out there.

But Byron, what if the Wooh Pooh

comes down to where we're going?

Can't he swim down there

and get people, too?

No, the Wooh Pooh don't

come to no public beaches.

What you gonna do, punk?

Come on, Kenny, you know

what Grandma Sands said.

Our cousins said to

be careful here, too.

Uh, I'm going to Collier's Landing.

And I'm not scared of no Wooh

Pooh, and I'm not a scaredy cat.

Go on, I don't need you looking

out for me all the time.

Fine, suit yourself.

I'm not playing!

I'mma show you!

Ain't nothing to be scared of.

I'm going to Collier's Landing.

You're a couple of jive squares!

Momma! M...

Momma!

Come on, Kenny!

Come on.

Breathe, little brother!

Stop, stop!

Get off of me! Stop!

Kenny! Kenny!

By?

The Wooh Pooh's real.

- I saw it.

- Ssh.

Just catch your breath.

Catch your breath.

How you feeling?

Tired.

Hey, By?

Thanks for not telling Momma

about Collier's Landing.

No problem, baby bro.

You probably will be tired all day,

so I'd take it easy if I were you.

Yeah.

Don't worry, I'll cover for you.

They would blame me anyway, so it's in

my best interest to look out for you.

And when they ask, I'll tell them I tired

you out running you around the lake.

Now I'm going back to sleep.

Those crickets kept me up all night.

Hey, By? You ready to go home?

I don't know.

I may be able to do

some good down here.

What?

You'd stay down here,

even if you didn't have to?

I don't know.

But... living down here is much

harder than living at home.

This is your home...

you gotta make it work.

I'm glad Momma left here

and never came back.

I hope it's a long time before

we come back down here again.

You think you're coming

home with us?

We'll see.

This little light of mine

I'm gonna let it shine

Let it shine let it shine

Let it shine

Everywhere I go

I'm gonna let it shine

Let it shine let it shine

Let it shine

Mommy!

There's my singer!

You were wonderful!

Thank you.

Guess what?

What?

They asked me to sing and help during their

first Holy Run Youth Service on September 15th.

Oh.

They need to know, 'cause I

have to make sure I practice...

all the songs and know

how to run service.

Mm-hm.

So can I, Mommy?

Please?

Well, we were supposed to be home in time

to get ready for school by the 17th.

Oh, Mommy, we can miss one day.

I love this church. It's even

better than our church in Flint.

I know, I miss this

old church, too.

So?

I'll talk to your daddy.

Yay!

Wait, what? I don't want to spend one

more hot day down here than I have to.

- Kenny.

- Look how happy the little squirt is.

Come on, we all right.

- We all right.

- Down we go.

You think we're okay to walk home?

Oh, don't worry.

Wherever that was, it's in the

opposite direction of where we headed.

Yeah, we'll be all right.

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