Protestor: ♪ Southern trees bear strange fruit ♪
♪ Blood on the leaves and blood at the root ♪
♪ Black bodies swinging in the Southern breeze ♪
♪ Strange fruit hanging ♪
♪ From the poplar trees ♪
♪ Here is a fruit for the crows to pluck ♪
♪ For the rain to gather ♪
♪ For the wind to suck ♪
♪ For the sun to rot ♪
♪ For the tree to drop ♪
♪ Here is a strange and a bitter ♪
♪ Crop ♪
♪
Zoey: If you don't look too closely,
you might think this is a scene from 1968.
But it's not.
Actually, it's more than 50 years later,
and we were still fighting against
the racial injustice and rampant inequality
that continued to plague our country.
Why? Because our nation wasn't looking close enough.
Protestors: [ Chanting ] Say their names!
Say their names!
[ Cellphones vibrating, alert whining ]
[ Fading ] Say their names! Say their names!
[ Cellphones vibrating, alert whining ]
Campus Policeman: [ Over loudspeaker ] The County of Los Angeles
has issued a curfew, which includes this campus.
Students must evacuate the premises now.
Gather your belongings and disperse immediately.
This is your final warning.
In fact, for decades,
not only was the nation not looking closely enough,
but people actively turned a blind eye,
and that blind eye turned into a national blind spot,
until eventually,
there was nowhere else to look
but directly at it.
♪ Watch out, world, I'm grown now ♪
♪ I'm grown ♪
♪ Learn something new every day ♪
♪ I don't know, so I'mma feel my way ♪
♪ Got the weight of the world on me ♪
♪ But no regrets, this is what I say ♪
♪ Watch out, world, I'm grown now ♪
♪ I'm grown ♪ ♪ You can tell me ♪
♪ My heart beating so loud ♪
♪ Mama, look, I'm grown now ♪
♪ I'm grown ♪
Protestors: [ Chanting ] Justice for Marcus!
Justice for Marcus!
Yo [bleep] the curfew, man. It's ridiculous.
How are they gonna give us 15 minutes to clear out?
Aaron: This is a tactic the government uses
when shit gets uncomfortable for them.
Mm‐hmm. I'm not leaving.
Yo, I mean, this is the time we push the boundaries, guys.
I say we all go downtown where it's really active.
Uh, well, I for one feel like we came, we saw, we conquered.
And I feel like we should probably eat now?
Is anyone else starving? I am.
Doug: No. Stay safe out there, kids.
Alright, well, I love you guys. Las Vidas Negras Importan!
Yeah, guys. I think I'm gonna head back to the house, too.
I'm ‐‐ You know, normally, I'm so down
to get arrested for the cause,
but if I do get arrested now, then who's gonna feed Luna?
Yeah. Me, too. Like, a part of me
wants to go downtown, but the other part of me
doesn't want to mess with those rubber bullets, so...
Look, I get if you want to come with us,
but I gotta warn you, it's gonna get a little crazy.
Oh. Yeah, no. I'm not going with you.
I know my strengths, and staying out past
a government‐enforced curfew ‐‐
unfortunately, not one of them.
But please stay safe. Yeah.
Like, for real. Okay.
‐Bye, guys. ‐Later.
Dude, can you please go with them?
It'll really mess with my frontal lobe
if I have to worry about the both of us.
Yeah, no. Uh, I'm not going with them.
I'm going downtown.
You know, some of us actually care about what's happening.
Okay. Doug: Bro, it's all good.
There's four of us. We can all keep an eye on each other.
Yeah, and if it makes you more comfortable, we can,
like, pick a spot to meet up if anybody gets lost.
Word. Whatever, man.
Alright, let's go get the car.
Okay.
♪
So, uh, we're keeping an eye out for each other now?
Um, I was just trying to keep an eye on you.
[ Chuckles ]
What is the one? [ Indistinct Spanish ]
[ Laughs ] Stop!
Oh, you should definitely try the lengua.
It's so good. Hard pass.
The only lengua I want in my mouth is yours.
It better be the only lengua you have in your mouth.
[ Police radio chatter ]
Thank you for your service, guys. Appreciate you.
[ Indistinct conversations ]
♪
[ Sighing ] Ooh. Damn. It is really crazy out there.
I'm kind of glad we didn't go downtown with the rest of them.
Mm‐hmm. So, I'm in a thread
with some friends, right? Uh‐huh.
And they just said the Beverly Center just got hit.
Nomi: Why do they even do that?
I mean, we didn't hit anything at the Women's March.
Remember? It was so peaceful.
Well, we also pregamed with mimosas and Eggs Benedict
and wore pink, fuzzy hats.
I'd have to say it's a tad different.
No, I know. I'm just saying
that burning and looting people's stores
should definitely not be a part of this.
Oh, but you're fine with the flowery chanting,
the bedazzled signage,
and the big, buttery smooth Black man
singing "Strange Fruit"?
But when stuff gets real, you're off the cause?
No, I'm absolutely on the cause, Jazz.
I just don't understand why those people think
that looting is the answer.
Those people? Those people?
[ Crowd shouting indistinctly ]
[ Siren wailing ]
[ Donny Hathaway's "Little Ghetto Boy" plays ]
♪
♪ Little ghetto boy ♪
♪ Playing in the ghetto street ♪
Policeman: [ Over loudspeaker ] This is a civil disturbance,
and curfew is now in effect.
Leave the area immediately,
or you'll be subject to the use of force,
including crowd control munitions.
We are peacefully assembling
and have every right to continue to do so!
Exactly! This is a violation!
Look, we pay you to protect us.
All we're doing is exercising our constitutional rights!
Oh, my God!
Come on!
♪
[ Protestors coughing ]
♪
♪ Little ghetto boy ♪
♪ Playing in the ghetto street ♪
♪ Whatcha gonna do when you grow up ♪
♪ And have to face responsibility? ♪
[ Siren wails in distance ] Nomi: Okay, I'm not so worried
about the destruction of property...
Okay. ...but come on.
The looting and burning of people's businesses
is not gonna help hold racist cops accountable.
Of course it's not gonna help hold them accountable,
because nothing holds them accountable.
That's exactly why this is happening.
It's ‐‐ It's the last resort
for people who have just been ignored for too long.
Martin even said that riots are the language of the unheard.
Okay, Coretta.
Looks like Aaron's been serving you the "D"
and that knowledge.
Alright, look. I obviously understand
that human life is more valuable than property.
I just ‐‐ I don't know.
I feel sorry for the small business owners
who built their livelihoods from nothing,
and now some opportunists are using this man's death
as an excuse to destroy that.
Okay. My dad built one of those small businesses,
but when it comes to saving Black lives,
best believe Kermit wouldn't mind
getting his food truck destroyed.
So if something needs to get burned down
or get looted to shake things up,
then so be it. I‐I don't know.
I'm just baffled. So ‐‐ So you guys are cool, then,
with the looting and rioting? Not cool with it,
but you choosing to focus on the looting and rioting
is a part of a longstanding history of racist thinking.
Hold on, Zoey. "R‐Racist thinking"?
So ‐‐ So you're calling me a racist?
Are ‐‐ Are you kidding me?
Okay. I can't believe you think I'm racist.
Girl, calm down. Nobody said that.
Right. Actually, Zoey kinda did.
Okay, I said you had some racist thinking,
not "Nomi hates Black people."
Oh, my God. Right, okay.
So my thinking is racist,
which mean I think racist things
about people based on their skin color,
which is literally the definition of being a racist.
That's who you think I am?
Again, no. We know who you are.
But choosing to criticize
the way oppressed people are reacting to their oppression
versus criticizing the oppression itself
is a part of the problem.
[ Clapping ] Mm. Wow. [ Laughs ]
I need to get Aaron a thank‐you basket.
Just six months ago, you confused Clarence Thomas
with Danny Glover.
Girl, look at you now.
I still think Clarence could play Danny in a biopic.
Look, Nomi. In the past,
whenever you felt like any of us had problematic thinking,
you called us on it,
and we weren't pressed. That part.
Yeah, that's because when I called you on it,
I didn't use inflammatory language
or personally attack your character.
[ Cellphone chimes ] I just got another text.
Looks like they're about to hit the Barnes & Noble at The Grove.
Anybody want that new Zane?
[ Clicks tongue ]
♪
Aaron: That shit was crazy. Doug: Dawg.
Where they at? I don't know. We told them to meet us here.
Where's Kiela? What? I don't know.
We thought she was with you. No, man. She ran off.
I can't find her anywhere. Ah. Man.
Can I use your phone? Mine's dead.
Yeah, here. This is crazy, man.
Bad service.
Gonna text her. Alright.
♪
Bro, are you smashing my sister?
Whoa!
No. I mean ‐‐
Hey, Kiela?
Kiela?
Kiki!
Hey, um...
back at the taco stand, did you ‐‐
did you not see those Black protesters standing right there
when you thanked the cops?
[ Sighs ]
Kind of odd you're calling them Black protesters
and not just protesters.
I only say that because it felt a little insensitive
for you to make that comment in front of them.
I mean, come on. Thanking the very people
that they were protesting against today?
It felt ‐‐ I don't know. I‐I‐It felt kind of gross.
Gross?
It's gross to thank my uncle or your cousin
or our family members that are in the military?
[ Sighs ]
Got to be honest, feels a little grosser
that you're trying to vilify all of them.
[ Scoffs ] Okay, I'm just saying that, in this moment,
it felt like a blatant disregard for those people
who are in direct conflict with the cops.
I mean, had you done that in front of my friends ‐‐
Ana. It was a thank you, okay?
Please do not try to turn this into an argument
and make me the bad guy.
We all know the real bad guys were the Black protesters.
♪
I'm kidding.
♪
[ Siren wailing in distance ]
Hold on, hold up. Bro, bro, bro.
Yo, can we talk about these texts
so we can get this energy right, man?
Bro, we're ‐‐ we're gonna find Kiela.
I need you to know, nothing serious happened between us.
We kissed, and that's it.
Think I care about that right now?
You obviously don't care about loyalty.
Thinking it's fine to desecrate the temple of our friendship
by fondling my kin?
Hey, yo, even now, you mad weird.
[ Cellphone chimes ]
Yo, it's Aaron. He said he found her.
Come on, come on, come on.
[ Indistinct conversations ]
♪
Hey, we're about to order some Thai. You want in?
I mean, I don't really like Thai,
but if I say no, then am I racist?
Nomi, why are you being so defensive about this?
Yeah, you are seriously on some White fragility shit.
Wow. Suppose you think that, too?
Yeah. You're ‐‐ You're White, and you're ‐‐
you're always taking those calcium chews, so...
You have no idea what that is, do you? Mnh‐mnh.
Yeah, you know what? It doesn't even matter,
'cause I'm done with this whole conversation.
Hey, hold on. Just so you know... Hmm.
...you "being done" with this conversation
instead of recognizing your participation in the problem
is the exact definition of White fragility.
Mm. It's like you don't even want
to have the tough conversation.
I was trying to have the tough conversation,
but my best friends told me
that I have, like, a huge blind spot when it comes to race,
and I'm ‐‐ I'm having a hard time
wrapping my head around that. Nomi, don't you think
it's because you view the world differently than we do?
Mm‐hmm. Sometimes you can't help
but perpetuate what's ingrained in you.
Zoey: Mm‐hmm. What's ‐‐
What's ingrained in me?
By which do you mean how Jewish people just like me
have historically marched alongside Black people
for civil rights since Day One?
Just like I marched with you guys today?
G‐Guys, this is ‐‐ this is beyond crazy.
Nomi, the only reason we are calling you on this
is because we love you.
So much.
[ Voice breaking ] If I was with someone
who I thought was homophobic or anti‐Semitic,
I wouldn't be sitting here trying to make them feel better.
In fact, I wouldn't be friends with them at all.
So if you guys think that I'm, like, racist
or ‐‐ or problematic or whatever,
then why would you still want to be friends with me?
♪
Nomi's Mom: Look, honey, it's a difficult time right now.
Everybody's emotions are high.
I know, but, Mom, I can't believe
my friends actually think this of me.
Yeah, but you know none of that stuff is true.
You're not a racist.
Your dad and I did not raise you to see color.
Okay, but, Mom, saying that you don't see color
is basically saying
that you don't see someone in their entirety,
and that's actually pretty problematic.
Problematic?
N‐Now you sound like your friends.
Oh, my God. Mom, you don't need to get so defensive.
No, I'm getting defensive because
you're challenging my character.
Your character?
[ Whispering ] About your character.
[ Sirens wailing, indistinct conversations ]
♪
[ Fire truck horn blaring ]
What happened?
She was teargassed again.
Oh, my God. Are you okay?
[ Kiela sniffles ] Can you open your eyes?
No.
What can I do? Nothing. Just ‐‐
Just give me a minute, please.
There's got to be something I can do to help.
I just want to make sure you're okay.
No, I'm ‐‐ I'm not okay.
I'm just ‐‐ I'm not.
This is just all so messed up.
How does something like this even happen?
[ Crying ] You know, I‐I'm here protesting police brutality,
and then I get brutalized by the police?
It just ‐‐ It just does‐‐ It doesn't make sense.
You know, I don't even know what we did wrong.
It's not your fault.
You didn't do anything wrong. [ Crying ]
♪ I see them bloom ♪
[ Sirens chirping, wailing ]
♪ For me and you ♪
[ Helicopter blades whirring ]
♪ And I think to myself ♪
♪
♪ What a wonderful world ♪
♪
♪ What a wonderful world ♪
♪
♪ What a wonderful world ♪
♪
[ Scoffs ] This is so crazy.
Mm. Aaron just texted the group.
Apparently, Luca's sister got teargassed.
Oh, shit.
Still feel like thanking your buddies back at the taco truck
for their service?
You're not still on this, are you?
No. No, not at all.
Good.
I'm just saying, it only further reinforces my point
of how right now is not the ideal time to be thanking cops,
that's all.
Ana, I'm not going to argue with you
about something we already put to bed.
No, we actually didn't put it to bed.
You just made some dumbass joke
and then shut down the conversation.
Here we go. "Here we go," what?
You just ‐‐ just digging in, just not letting anything go.
The constant, like, back and forth.
I'm so sick of arguing with you about nothing.
Today was not nothing.
This is something that I care about.
Really? 'Cause one day, you're volunteering for D. A. R. E.,
and then the next, you're yelling at me for thanking cops.
You don't know where you stand on half these issues,
and that's the problem.
Okay, that is not fair.
I am allowed to have nuanced points of view, Javi.
And it's okay that they differ from yours.
I don't only have to think and act the way that you want me to.
That's not what I'm saying. Then what are you saying?
I just don't think a relationship
should be this hard.
♪
Yeah, I don't think I can do this anymore.
♪
Well, then, uh...
♪
I guess we finally both found something that we agree on.
♪
[ Door opens ]
♪
Guys, it's okay. You don't need to trail behind me anymore.
It's ‐‐ It's fine, but, um, thank you for having my back.
I'll call you later, bro. Night.
Alright, y'all. I'mma head out, too.
But it's been amazing, my Black brethren.
Powerful night. But I gotta go see Zoey.
She keeps asking me what, uh, White fragility means.
Feel like she should already know that, but...
Later.
Crazy night. Yep.
Look, bro... my apologies.
You know, I shouldn't have crossed that line
with your sister, and moving forward,
you're not gonna have to worry, 'cause I don't ‐‐
I don't want to get in the middle of siblings like that,
or desecrate the...temple of our friendship
and fondle ‐‐
My kin. Right.
[ Sighs ]
Much appreciated.
My man.
Have a good night. Stay safe.
Jazz: Ooh. What?
Looks like they just hit the Brookstone
in West Hollywood.
How long do you think it's gonna take for us to get there?
You know I'm a sucker for modern gadgetry.
Jazz.
Hey.
Um, I owe you guys
a really, really big apology.
Well, if you're talking about reparations,
you can just Cash App me. [ Clicks tongue ]
[ Both chuckle ]
Um, you guys ‐‐ you guys were right.
I was definitely raised to see the world
in a very specific way,
and I'll never see the world like you guys do.
No matter how liberal my environment
or how expanded my world view is...
[ Siren wailing in distance ]
...I'll always have some sort of blinders on.
And I'm really, really sorry.
Well, we appreciate it.
Mm‐hmm. And i‐it's all good.
You know we love you,
but most importantly, thank you for hearing us.
Yeah. Yeah.
I love you guys.
Oh, come here.
[ Chuckles ]
As the country finally saw its blind spot,
we were also forced to take notice of our own.
The only thing we could do
was move forward with our eyes open
in an effort to be better people to those around us
and hope that the rest of the country
would eventually do the same.
Wow. This was not what I thought it was at all.
Jazz: Mmm. This is everything I thought it would be.
[ Smooth jazz music playing quietly ]
What? I didn't loot this. I'm just taking advantage
of the homie's five‐finger discount.
Oh, my God.
Is somebody playing soft jazz?
[ Chuckles ] Yes. I am.
It's coming straight from this coffee mug.
It has a Bluetooth speaker in it.
Like I said...gadgetry.
♪
Hmm.
Gadgetry.