- Helping the community center get open
was one step towards helping me find my real purpose.
To make that happen, I would have to face
one of the biggest challenges of my life:
Veesy.
- All right, guys, now, listen.
I think y'all doing a fantastic job,
and it's really making a difference.
You know what I'm saying?
But we need to get several hundred
other petitions signed,
and I need those signed by the end of day.
It is what it is.
'Cause we on a mission, isn't that right?
Now, listen here, Jorge will be my eyes and ears,
so don't try nothing slick.
All right, God loves you, and break.
All right, yes.
- Veesy!
Can I just say something? I love your staff.
I love the way you move, and on top of all of that,
I heard in the projects you got the best lasagna.
That's all I wanna say.
- You think you slick.
Get outta my face, Tray.
Aren't you supposed to be in some fucking traffic
getting hit or something like that?
Poof! Be gone.
Watch your step. All right.
Walk straight, nigga!
You got heart, though, motherfucker.
I give you that.
To have the audacity to step to me.
[laughs]
[thunder rumbles]
- Okay, Group A, follow me.
We are headed over to the farmers' market.
Let's make sure we stick to that script this time, okay?
It is 2.3 million and 45%.
Y'all got it? all: Got it.
- All right, that's what I like to hear.
Heading on over to the boujee farmers' market.
[indistinct chatter]
- Here you go, Grandma.
- Oh, thank you guys.
This is so sweet.
You know people at the church have been telling me
they have a lot of packages missing.
- It's nice to have a good security system.
Gives you peace of mind.
- And now I can stop hearing Gloria brag
about how good her system is.
You're sure this one is better?
- I think so. - Good.
- This system has a ton of cool stuff.
There's a camera in your doorbell.
- No! Look at this. That's my stoop.
- Mm-hmm. - I can see the whole block.
Oh. [laughter]
- Look what else you can do, Grandma.
So press the microphone button,
and you can talk to the people outside of your house.
- No!
This is incredible. Thank you.
- It's our pleasure, Roberta.
Just call us with any questions.
All right, let's go, guys. Come on.
- Okay, well, let me talk you out.
Okay. Testing.
Testing. One, two, three.
Yeah--Oh! I see you.
- Bye, Grandma. - All right, bye, Roberta.
- Okay, bye!
Mm.
[line trills]
Oh, hello, Gloria.
Girl, my kids just gave me some new security system.
I told them don't spend this much.
This camera is so sharp,
I can see if you put your wig on crooked.
- Hmm, maybe we should've also taught her
how to turn the mic off?
both: Yeah. - Let's go.
[Roberta speaking indistinctly]
- Hi. Do you have a second to talk
about America's high incarceration rate?
- No. - 2.3 million people
are currently locked up in jails and prisons...
- I don't have any cash. - And of those
who were released, 45% will be
arrested again within a year of their--
- No! - Let me ask you a question.
You think anyone likes doing mathematics on a Saturday?
- Not particularly, no.
- Then why bombard them with mathematics?
- Well, Veesy, you know, gave us a script and I--
- The first rule to selling is know your audience.
This ain't a math crowd.
- You're right. I mean, the people here
only care about themselves, to be honest.
- Well, then make it about them.
You catch more flies with honey than you do mathematics.
Trust that. And believe it.
- Okay. - Let me get the CB.
- I'm sorry, the CB? I--
- The clipboard, mother-- the clipboard.
- Oh, yes, of course.
- On and on and on and on. What's up, home skillet?
I heard this macadamia nut blossom honey
is to the beat, beat check it out.
- Oh, yeah, it's even better
than the New Zealand Raw Manuka Honey.
- Say word? - Word.
- You know who you remind me of?
The nephew of Chaka Khan.
Sign right here to help save the community.
Excuse me, may I ask you a question?
Have you heard about the greedy developers
trying to knock down the community center playground?
- Oh, my God, that's awful.
- I'm telling you, if these developers get their way,
these zucchini gonna double in price,
and they won't even be organic.
- Oh, wow. - Thank you for putting
the neighborhood back in the hood.
- Wow, this is
so much more effective than Veesy's method.
- Yo, let's go over here
and fuck with these gourmet dog biscuit people.
Let me tell you something, that's one lucky dog.
- He's a rescue. - Wow.
What I wouldn't do to be rescued by you.
- You're silly.
- You know, I got a rescue myself.
You know, part Shih Tzu and part laboratory rat.
I call it the shitz-rat.
[laughter]
- You're funny. - All day.
- I like people who care about other living creatures in need.
- Not just dogs.
There's kids out here that need goodwill and love too.
That's why I'm getting signatures
to keep the community center open.
- Oh, well, I'm happy to sign.
- Oh, thank you, ma'am. And you too, Scoobs.
You better appreciate them belly rubs now.
I know I would.
- You're bad.
- ♪ Ah, yeah ♪
[rock music]
♪ Yeah ♪
- Thank you for your support. - Tray Barker?
- Hey, Poison.
- Nah, nah, nah, man, I ain't going by that right now, man.
I'm going by my government. Just Percy.
- No wonder you took Poison, man.
People wouldn't be scared to say,
"Yo, Percy looking for me."
[chuckles] - What is this?
- Trying to get people to sign this petition
to save the community center, man.
- Word? Let me sign up, then. See you doing good, you know.
Especially after your 15-year state vacation.
And they say prison don't rehabilitate people.
- You know, man, I'm just trying to give back, man.
- I feel you, man. I went legit too.
I'm importing hair and beauty supplies.
- Get the fuck out of here, man.
You went from pushing weight to pushing bundles?
- [chuckles] Baby, baby, baby.
Cherise, come here, come here, come here.
I want you to meet somebody. Yeah, man.
- Don't tell me all this cuteness belong to you.
- Yeah, that's what I'm trying to say, man.
You know what I'm saying?
When she was born, it changed me, man.
Straight up, like. Say hi.
No, listen, baby. Say hi. Say hi to Mr. Barker.
- Hi, Mr. Barker. Nice to meet you.
I'm Cherise. I'm five.
- Whoa!
It is so nice to meet you, little girl.
- Me and Mr. Barker go way back.
We used to work together as kids.
- Did you have a lemonade stand?
- Something like that.
- Something like that, right?
Hey, good luck on everything, man.
You know, we need this community center
for the kids and all that.
If I can help any kind of way, Tray,
boom, I'm there.
- That's what's up, Poi-- I mean Percy.
- A'ight, later, later. Come on, baby.
- Bye-bye.
- Oh, Cheryl, you looking good.
- Thank you, girl! - The walks are paying off.
Mm-hmm.
Young man, pull up those pants.
Nobody is gonna hire you
showing your drawers and your booty crack.
Ah. No, no, no, no.
Uh-uh, Susan, keep it walking.
Keep it walking.
No public toilets here.
Thank you.
[tablet chimes]
Mm. Mm-mm.
- [playing discordantly] - Stop already!
- Boy, that's-- that is sexy.
- Die, Kenny G! Die! [phone ringing]
- Ah. Hey, Roberta.
- The security company just sent me an alert.
They wanna know if they can send me notifications.
Are they trying to steal my identity?
- No, it's okay, Roberta. It's okay to get notifications.
- All right, bye.
- Back to you, my sexy little bitch.
[playing discordantly]
- Come on, man! Baby's sleeping!
- Ooh. [urine streaming]
Is that Carroll's house?
Lord.
What's wrong with people, peeing outside like that?
God. You still going.
- Let me see. Let me see.
All right, y'all didn't do too bad.
Jorge.
Okay, overachiever, I see you.
Guys, this is amazing. This completely outdoes it.
Like, it takes it over the top. How did you do this?
- Once we flipped the script, stopped yelling,
and started selling, it was easy.
- What do you mean yelling? Why was y'all yelling?
Y'all was yelling at people? - Oh, no.
It was just all those confusing numbers about recidivism.
It was turning people off.
Nobody wants to do math on a Saturday.
- Jorge, who told you that?
'Cause you don't talk like that.
Where'd you get that from?
- Oh, it was that guy. - What the--
[dramatic music]
Fuck.
- What do you mean, you're gonna throw them away?
You need these signatures, Veesy.
- Nigga, I don't even trust you.
How do I not know that you didn't sign that shit yourself?
- Veesy, you needed signatures. I got you signatures.
- How, nigga? Selling artisanal crack?
- Nah, man, by communicating. By connecting with them.
- Oh, don't play with me. Why the fuck are you here?
'Cause people like you only do good shit
if they gonna think they're gonna get something out of it.
- Yes, I want something.
I wanna be involved in my community.
I wanna help get the community center opened.
Even more than that, I wanna teach a cooking class.
- You must be high on your own supply if you think
I'mma let you come up in here in this community center.
I'm not letting you nowhere near here.
Broke niggas like you destroy the community.
- Veesy, I was a kid.
- I was a kid too.
But motherfuckers like you destroyed my childhood.
People like you sold my brother crack.
And he never kicked it.
He tried for years, but he never kicked that shit.
And so then one day,
he decided he wasn't gonna wanna live no more.
So you know what he did? He f--
he killed himself.
- Veesy, I'm sorry.
- Fuck your sorry. Fuck your sorry, man.
No, thank you, nigga. No, thank you.
I don't want nothing from you.
I don't need no signatures. I don't need no quality time.
I don't need you nowhere near this community center.
Leave me the fuck alone.
Because you have no role here.
Get the fuck out!
[somber music]
♪ ♪
- Veesy.
Yo!
♪ ♪
[indistinct chatter]
[phone ringing]
- [sighs softly] Hey, Roberta.
- I just wanna know if your garbage cans are out.
- We live on the eighth floor. Our building has a trash chute.
- You know, I just got an alert on my phone
that there's a group of kids in your neighborhood
knocking over garbage cans.
I gotta go, bye.
- You called me.
[phone rings]
- Oh, hold on.
Get me a number three, okay?
Both: All right. - Thanks.
Hey, Grandma. Are you okay?
- Are you at the beauty salon?
- No, I'm going to the movies with my friends.
- Good, because there is a guy outside the salon
with a bucket of water threatening to ruin hairdos
if you don't turn over all your cash to him.
- I don't carry cash, Grandma. - Good for you.
Now, by the way, what movie theater you at?
- Grandma, maybe you should
turn that off for a little while.
- Oh, no, baby.
Don't worry about me, 'cause I know where crime is, okay?
Okay, goodbye. I gotta go.
[phone rings] - [sighs] Now she's calling me.
Hey, Grandma.
[smooth music]
- Good morning.
- Morning, Ma.
- Hey, Tray, I've mapped out your route
to the council meeting.
Do not go right, because there's a guy out there
peeing on people, okay?
And when you go to the left, keep your eyes open,
'cause there's another idiot out there
snatching iPhone earbuds.
- I'm not going to that meeting, Ma.
- Why not? Uh-uh.
We gotta open up that center.
We gotta get these kids off the street.
It's a war zone out there.
- Veesy don't even want me to be there, Ma.
Every time she looks at me, all she sees
is the person I used to be.
Apparently, Mommy,
15 years in prison wasn't good enough for her.
- [sighs]
Listen, you made a mistake when you were a young man,
and you still gotta pay for it?
- She blames me for putting her brother in the ground.
- Oh, I see, well...
she has her right to be mad,
and you also have the right to live your life.
You gotta stay strong.
- You right.
- You go to that meeting
and you say what you got to say.
If she turns her back on you, show up the next day.
And the next day. And the next day.
Just like you do when the Powerball
hits 55 million, okay?
- I'm gonna hit it one day. Watch.
- I know, 'cause you keep going back there.
- Thank you, Ma. I needed that.
- Thank you, baby. - Thank you, Ma.
Like Deniece Williams said, I'm a black butterfly.
- Ooh, baby. - See my wings, Mommy? Look.
You see that, Mommy? - Wait.
Put on a little deodorant, now.
Okay? - Stop, Ma.
- And in addition, this project will attract
the type of people to Brooklyn who have the resources
to spend their dollars at local businesses.
As a result, more jobs will be created
and working-class wages will rise, and that's...
- Okay, so here's the deal.
Jamal is very involved in the community.
I'm pretty sure we've got his vote locked down.
Mr. Ramsey is a no.
Which means we've gotta focus on Robert.
Okay, we get his vote, we can save the center.
- I mean, a state-of-the-art gym
with a Starbucks and a fro-yo place?
Come on, people. This is a no-brainer.
Kinda like my first husband.
[chuckles] Okay? You know.
- And now speaking in opposition
to the Harrison International Project is Shaveese Diggs.
[cheers and applause]
- As exciting as it sounds to have new money
coming into the community, please forgive me
if I do not cheer at the demolition
of the Tompkins-Marcy Community Center,
as it will also be an annihilation
of prenatal programs, day care, and after-school tutoring.
The kids need a place to go so they can stay out of trouble.
- Tell them, girl!
[applause]
- Brooklyn needs your attention.
And all we're asking you to do is hear us out.
We are out here fighting for our lives.
- Yes! Yes! Yes! [applause]
- Who wants free apartments? [all gasp]
We at Harrison International are prepared to hold a lottery
to give away six rent-free luxury apartments
to members of this community.
Free apartments. all: Free apartments!
Free apartments! Free apartments!
all: Free apartments! Free apartments!
- I'm reclaiming Veesy's time!
- Sir, that's not how this works.
You're not Veesy. - I'm reclaiming my time, then.
- Still not how that works, but it's an open mic.
So speak your mind.
- Thank you, Your Honor. - Go, Tray.
[chuckles] Mwah!
- My name is Tray Barker. I went to 33.
And before that, I went to 59.
Times were rough for me, man, coming up.
But I gonna sit here and complain
about what I ain't get.
I wanna talk about what I got, and I got y'all.
- Yes, sir! [applause]
- Now, you know what we are? We a pebble.
When you drop a pebble in a pond,
those ripples gonna spread through the whole pond
no matter how big the pond is.
And right now, the pond is Brooklyn.
'Cause Brooklyn is in the house, all right?
You see this lady right here giving me the stink-eye?
Nobody in this room loves this community more than her.
She is the backbone and the spirit of this whole community.
Not some building.
She's an example for all of us to turn the hoods
back into neighborhoods and be neighborly.
When I was growing up,
if you did some knucklehead stuff,
you got your ass whooped three times
before you even got upstairs.
[laughter] That is a neighborhood.
And that's why this community center is so important.
Because it's a place for the kids and the elderly to go
to find love, to find hope, to work out their aggressions,
to talk to somebody about the pressures of the streets.
And it's gotta be important to us.
It has to be.
'Cause when they don't have a place like this,
they either wind up doing 25 to life,
pregnant, or dying alone.
And we don't want that. Okay?
So what we gonna do, y'all?
Are we gonna make Brooklyn
and our neighborhoods a better place?
- Yes. - Yes.
- Or are we gonna sell out
for some free apartments? - No!
- We gonna focus on being a pebble...
all: Yes!
- In this big beautiful pond called Brooklyn?
all: Yes! - Y'all with it?
all: Yes. - Y'all with it?
[crowd cheering] - I'm out.
[dramatic music]
♪ ♪
- Okay, I-I think we've heard enough.
We'll mull this over and render our decision
by the end of the week.
Thank you for coming today. Meeting adjourned.
- Yo, Tray, amazing job today.
- Oh, hey, thank you. Auntie. Auntie.
- Tray, you were magnificent. I am so proud of you.
- You know how to talk that shit.
- Thank you, aunties. - Oh, I love you.
- I thought I told you to stay away.
- I just hope you ain't mad at me for making that speech.
- It was a'ight.
But I just hope that shit works.
- Veesy. Veesy.
- Tray, man.
- Percy. - Hey, that was very moving.
It's tough break with Robert, though.
- What you talking about?
- Listen, I needed board approval
on some projects before, right?
Whenever they postpone the vote,
that means they turned you down.
- But I don't understand. We won the people.
- That's why they ain't wanna sign it right now.
They know they can't handle no angry-ass crowd.
- Well, maybe I need to take a swing
at the swing voter before he leave.
- Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah.
But we'll figured out something else we can do,
you know what I'm saying?
- ♪ Here we go again ♪
- Doing things the right way doesn't always work.
- ♪ Here we go again ♪
- In order to get real change,
sometimes you gotta do things the old-fashioned way.
- Yo.
- I took Percy's offer
to reinvest back into the community.
- ♪ Same old shit, dog, just a different day ♪
♪ Here we go again ♪
♪ You know how niggas do when we play how we play ♪
♪ Here we go again ♪
♪ A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do ♪
- This isn't how I hoped things would play out,
but you do what you gotta do for the greater good.
- ♪ Here we go again ♪
[cheers and applause]
- The old-fashioned way got us the vote we needed
and the community center opened.
All I had to do now was make sure Veesy never found out
I bribed a public official.
- So now what, nigga?
We gonna be fucking allies or something?
That's what we doing?
Let me be very, very clear with you.
I will never fully forgive
what you did to me and my family.
But I guess this can be a start.
- Thank you, Veesy. I appreciate that.
- So you still wanna do this fucking class or whatever?
- You know I do.
But, Veesy, this is much bigger than the community center,
you know what I mean?
You know how many fucking families I hurt
in this community, including yours?
I feel like I owe to whole Brooklyn.
I'm just trying to give back what I took.
[engine rumbling]
- Oh, there's Robert.
Hey, Robert!
Hey, man, thank you so much for the vote, appreciate it.
- The pleasure was all mine.
- ♪ First things first, hoe ♪
♪ Never let 'em see you sweat ♪
♪ Cut that nigga off, then cut a check ♪
- Put that box-- put that box down!
- Hey, what are you doing? Hey, what's going on?
- Step back from the box! - It's me, your neighbor!
- Oh, damn. - Yeah.
- Oh, how you doing? - Well, I've been better.
- Oh, okay.
- Wow, Grandma, you're a badass.
- Yeah, luckily from this angle,
no one can tell it's you.
- And luckily we had a very understanding neighbor.
- Well, it's not my fault.
I thought I was catching a criminal.
[drumming, cymbal crashes]
- Did you guys hear that?
I finally figured it out.
I'm a drummer.
- Ah.
- I'm the drummer of the family.
What do you wanna hear?
That's the hard part.
[laughter]