Previously on "Our Kind of People"...
Got to figure out how to get into Franklin
so I can find out the truth about what Teddy did to Mama.
I just need that interview.
I'm gonna have my office call you.
You're one step closer to the incubator program.
My father didn't just step down.
I pushed him out.
I'm getting Darmon back.
I've seen pictures of the two of you.
You look at her like she's --
I love her?
Because I do.
I love you.
But I can't support this.
I'm placing you under arrest
for the attempted murder of Taylor Woods.
What? [ Crowd murmurs, camera shutters clicking ]
Daddy.
Evelyn Vaughn was no more than a broken-down,
money-hungry, drug-dealing con!
She sold me for $50,000. No, no.
There's no denying that Angela Vaughn is your sister.
Get it out of your system,
before she uncovers skeletons that could ruin this family.
Now, is that any way to talk to an old friend?
Woman: Ladies and gentlemen,
Teddy Franklin and our honoree, Leah Franklin.
Teddy: Good evening.
[ Applause ]
♪♪
♪ Hold your head high
♪♪
Mommy?!
[ Laughs ]
Mommy, I-I need to ask you so many things.
I-I miss you so much.
I'm still here, baby.
Could I do this if I weren't?
Vaughn family dance?
♪ Come on, whoo!
♪ Celebration
♪ All of us together
♪ Celebration
♪ Celebrating you and me
[ Fading ] ♪ Celebration
Mommy?
Mommy, Mommy, Mommy, don't go!
Mommy, wait!
Why did you sell me?
[ Gasps ]
[ Exhales sharply ]
♪♪
I need to know.
♪♪
♪ Head high
♪ Confident
♪ Strong mind
♪ Resilient
♪ You can't break me, I was born to rise ♪
♪ Our kind of people
♪ Ooh, ooh
♪ Our kind of people
♪ Ooh, ooh
♪♪
♪ Reach for the sky Piggy: Alright, baby girl, let me see that Vaughn family dance.
Booty! Snap, snap!
Uh-oh! You got some competition, baby girl!
And 5, 6, 7.
♪ You've got a lot to smile about ♪ Piggy: Ha ha!
Patty cake!
Ah!
♪ And you deserve it [ Laughter ]
Angela: Yes! I got Mama Eve's dance moves!
Oh! Got the party started early.
Juneteenth decorations up.
Mama loved celebrating this holiday
like it was Black Christmas.
You know, I thought Juneteenth in the Bluffs was gonna be lame,
but there's a march in Edgartown.
There's some live speakers, poetry readings.
And I keep hearing about this "Red & Black on the Green"
that the Franklins are throwing.
Yeah, we're probably not on the guest list for that one.
Baby girl, what did you do with the banners
that you and your grandma made?
Um, I'll go get 'em.
I am so happy that she is thriving here.
It is a far cry from last year when she was smoking weed
and hanging out with those badass kids.
Oh, baby, you set her free, bringing her to this place.
What you doing?
Just fixing these up so I can put my best foot forward.
Oh, yeah, that's right, you got that
dog-and-pony show today at Franklin.
Small business incubator.
Aren't you excited?
I didn't sleep well.
Had a bad dream about Mama.
I just can't get over her selling me.
I heard you up and down. You couldn't sleep?
I heard voices. Mm.
Guess I fell asleep with the TV on.
[ Laughs ]
Lord, please, help me nail this presentation.
Girl, you will.
I got to.
That's the only way I can get into Franklin Holdings
and sniff around and find out what Teddy did to Mama.
♪♪
[ Cellphone vibrating ]
♪♪
[ Vibrating continues ]
Lauren: I'm just happy to be out of lockup.
I can't believe Taylor had me arrested.
Your mother's excited to see you.
She's been picking out these flower arrangements
for her Juneteenth party.
I'm sure she would love your input.
Dad, all she cares about is that things
are perfect for "Red & Black on the Green."
Well, this party is important to your Nana Rose.
I think that's why it's so important to your mother.
If that's why it was important to her,
why is Nana Rose never here?
How about we go ask your mother?
[ Cellphone chimes ]
Taylor out of the hospital yet?
She reached out? Not since she pressed charges.
Listen, I don't know exactly what happened on that yacht,
but I can tell your relationship with Taylor
is very important to you.
Dad, I know that you probably think
that this is just some girl fight that's gone too far.
♪♪
I like girls.
Like, I love Taylor.
And...
I love you.
Okay?
Always will.
[ Cellphone vibrates ] [ Rap music plays ]
Ugh, no.
No. Uh, Quincy, can you turn that music down, please?
I-I just want to make sure that we have
the right shade of red for the ceremony.
I mean, this is great, but these are all just too pink.
Yes, Ma'am. I'll alert the event coordinator.
Okay.
Yo, look who got emancipated.
Are these Juneteenth jokes? Real tacky, bro.
[ Chuckles ]
Hey.
I couldn't sleep thinking of you locked up in that place.
I'm glad you're home.
Hey, why don't you get cleaned up?
Because we've got a lot to do.
I've made sure the right press outlets
will feature a family photo during the Rose Ceremony
at "Red & Black on the Green" this weekend.
So we will present a united front
at one of the most anticipated events of the summer season.
Mom, why?
Because my mother started the tradition.
Each rose, passed from older generation
to younger generation,
represents bloodshed on our road to freedom
and how we transformed that trauma to strength.
And if there's anyone who needs transformation
right now, it's you.
Y-You might be out on bail,
but Taylor hasn't dropped the charges.
Lo, let's, uh -- let's get you flea-dipped.
Lauren, just -- Eh --
At some point, you have to realize
that what you're doing isn't working.
You push, I listen.
Anyway, I think we should get down to the office.
Angela Vaughn is going to present her business
for the incubator program.
You gave her an interview?
Is that a problem? It's...
not a choice I would've made.
Then I'm glad I made the call.
♪♪
♪ Baby, don't wait your whole life just to have a good time ♪
Got the big boss doing hard labor, huh?
I had to cut the electric and the air
while I installed a security system.
How much is that gonna cost me?
Consider it a client gift from me to you.
Gotta keep your goods protected.
Thank you.
And I will have a lot more goods if this meeting goes well.
I see you guys love you some Juneteenth.
Oh, yeah.
My mother always taught us to celebrate freedom.
Oh, are you free later today?
We hitting up a Juneteenth party?
I could use some red drinks and hot links.
No, it's not a party, but I promise it'll be fun.
Dress comfortable. I'll pick you up at 7:00.
Okay.
♪ I want all of it
♪ When you throw it, throw it back ♪
To summarize, with Eve's Crown,
nurtured by Franklin Holdings,
the possibilities are endless.
Leah: I think we should address the obvious issue. [ Door opens ]
Your packaging.
[ Door closes ]
Oh, that's my mother's image.
When I told her I wanted her to be the face of the product,
she almost fainted.
She just never saw herself
as exceptionally beautiful or special like that.
But that's all I ever saw.
Well, you could easily sell at a higher price point
with a bottle that's more upscale and modern
and less... ghetto swap meet.
Well, this country has over 1,100 flea markets
and swap meets that generate $30 billion-plus a year.
And in case you were unaware, a "ghetto" is a neighborhood
where oppressive systems work to disenfranchise and impoverish
Black, Brown, and Indigenous peoples.
And those people have been buying Eve's Crown for years.
So I don't feel the need to change the packaging
or the price, and I won't leave them behind.
Right.
Sorry, Raymond, but until she's able to process critique,
it's a no from me.
And with that, we are adjourned.
Well, obviously, we won't know until we know, right?
Okay. Well, get back to me, then.
Hey, I hope you understand
that I push all the incubator applicants like that.
I mean, it's a part of being a mentor.
It's nothing personal.
How could it be personal?
I'm no one to you, right?
Mm. No.
No one at all.
Happy Juneteenth.
[ Chuckles ]
♪ Mm, freedom
♪ Oh, freedom over me
Thank you for your feedback. It was thoughtful.
And you have a happy Juneteenth, too, sis.
♪ And before I'd be a slave ♪
♪ I'd be buried in my grave ♪
♪ And go home to my Lord and be free ♪
♪ Things ain't been the same since you went away ♪
♪ The hood done change
Hey, my people.
I have a huge opportunity for Eve's Crown.
But in order to grab ahold of it,
I need to make some changes, and change is hard.
So I'm coming to y'all 'cause you're like family to me.
You know, I'm an only child.
My mom and I used to always make
the big decisions together,
but...she's gone now.
And y'all are my sisters.
You know, even when I started going live,
you told me the truth.
What was dope, what was wack, what worked, what didn't.
A'ight, so boom. Change the packaging or not?
Dope idea or "don't you dare"?
Let me know. Sound off in the comments.
Mwah.
[ Indistinct conversations in background ]
Had an interesting incubator meeting today.
Eve's Crown seems promising.
Angela Vaughn applied?
She has some work to do,
but she's hungry.
She wants to build it out
for her family legacy.
Speaking of which, I want
to talk to you about Darmon.
[ Laughs ] We've discussed this.
Well, let's discuss it again.
Now, as you know,
Darmon is back on its feet again
because of me.
And by my projections,
we are on track to pay back
all of the bailout money
before the end of the year
with our profits
ahead of time.
Just one problem.
You locked me out of the books.
[ Sighs ]
They always say that women
marry men that remind them
of their fathers.
You and I, so different.
I never would have agreed to the bailout.
I never would've given my company away
to another man.
And I certainly would never ask for something
that belonged to me.
Now, maybe that's the "Q Dog" in me.
And your ask, polite though it may be,
is as "nupe" as they come.
So, I'm sorry, son, but "nupe."
[ Chuckles ]
Darmon and its books stay in my control
until the bailout is repaid.
Thing about us pretty boys is that we may look weak...
...but we carry a strong cane.
♪♪
[ Door slams ]
[ Sighs ]
Hi, Mommy.
They told me that you were medicated
because, well, you've been hiding your meds again.
[ Chuckles ]
I'm gonna need you to take better care of yourself, okay?
Your Juneteenth ball is tomorrow.
We're doing your ceremony.
"Your courage will be my courage.
Your strength will be my strength."
[ Sighs ]
Remember, Mommy?
Every summer, your Juneteenth party
was the one invitation that everyone wanted.
Remember?
This is not the right rose.
Hey, Mommy.
Leah, come help Mommy practice the Rose Ceremony.
Remember the words?
Yes.
"My courage will be your courage.
My strength is your strength.
From generation to generation..."
"...may the roots of our past bloom
into bright futures."
No. That rose is still too pink!
Your hands are bleeding!
[ Breathing heavily ]
No!
Help Mommy!
Teddy? Wait -- no -- no!
I need to get ready for Juneteenth!
What are you doing?! Mommy!
What are they doing?
Teddy, this is your fault!
Teddy, please!
Mommy!
Please!
Teddy!
Leah, we will not talk about this -- with anyone.
Mommy's broken.
That is a weakness.
Weakness is powerlessness.
Say it for me.
Weakness is powerlessness.
And now I know what he did.
Having a baby with another woman, the shame of that...
I would never survive that.
I don't even know how you did.
I don't know how to be completely honest
in my marriage.
Because I saw how exposed you were in yours.
I brought you a rose.
Isn't it pretty?
You know what? I, um...
I'll put it right here.
♪♪
How about I, um -- I finish your hair, okay?
Yeah?
Okay.
♪♪
♪ 'Cause I'm a different pedigree ♪
♪ Something that you'll never be ♪
♪ I see my destiny right ahead of me ♪
♪ Victory is in my sights
♪ In my sights if I don't die tonight ♪
♪ Die tonight
♪ I'm a different pedigree
♪ Something that you'll never be ♪ [ Pounding on door ]
[ Music shuts off ]
Who's knocking on my door like that?
Help me understand why you would be going to visit my mother?
[ Scoffs ] Okay.
Uh, help me understand
why you creeping on my social media.
What? What are you talking about?
I saw you.
I went to see Rose 'cause I had some questions about my mother.
You know, the one you want to remove from my product.
I'd rather you not play coy.
I'm sure you had questions about my father.
I mean, I know all about your little paternity claims.
They're not little paternity claims, honey.
We're blood. I ran a DNA test.
With what DNA? Don't worry about how.
And if he sent you here rather than come and face me himself,
our father is a damn coward.
So you know I'm not just gonna let you come up in here
and destroy my name and my family's name
in one fell swoop, right?
[ Chuckles ]
Okay. So, uh, what's your price?
I mean, do you have a number in mind?
If you agree to leave permanently,
I am prepared to be very generous.
[ Laughs ]
This heifer did not just offer me a check.
You know, Franklin Holdings runs credit inquiries
on anyone trying to get into the incubator.
I mean, not that you have a snowball's chance in hell
of getting in.
But I will not stand for any kind of scandal
around this company.
It means too much to me.
So, I can erase the debt that you're holding
between those four credit cards.
Oh, and a little bit more for the defaulted student loans
from Howard.
And, of course, the balloon payment
that's due on your small-business loan.
♪♪
Understand something about me.
Hmm?
No one will ever buy or sell Angela Vaughn.
You know what? Here.
Oh, my God.
How about you go run another DNA test so you can see?
It's just gonna prove what you're trying to run from.
That Daddy's little princess
is gonna have to share the throne.
Go ahead. Take it!
[ Scoffs ]
You're gonna love having me for a sister.
[ Door closes ]
[ Door opens ]
♪♪
Angela: You should've come to see me yourself.
You owe me that.
♪♪
[ Door opens, closes ]
You look so much like Eve --
You do not get to say her name.
And you don't get to send your little mini-me over
to pay me off.
I will never be for sale.
♪♪
You're that ashamed of me?
'Cause you should be ashamed of yourself.
[ Clears throat ]
I never...sent Leah.
And...
...you don't know the whole story about me and your mother.
So tell me.
Because all I remember is that you promised her the world
and never delivered.
And you slammed the door in my face.
You didn't even look back.
I sat on that stoop, crying in the rain.
Soaked my dress through.
Now that I can finally look you in the eye,
I know that your power, your wealth...name,
none of that means anything.
Because you are contemptible,
alone, trash,
just like every other man who won't honor his obligation
to raise his child.
I'm sorry...
you feel that way.
♪♪
But...
...you're here now.
And we need to find a way to manage this.
Manage?
What am I, a business deal to you?
No.
You have never been.
And neither was your mother.
So, what do you want me to do now?
♪♪
[ Gasps ]
The same thing you've always done --
nothing.
[ Door opens, closes ]
♪ Unh, yeah
♪ Legs smooth and they long
♪ Unh, yeah
♪ He bite the bullet, yeah, chew it off ♪
♪ Unh, big body, take yo shoes off ♪
Come on. Let's take a selfie. Okay, okay, cool.
♪ I got too much cash, yikes [ Camera shutter clicking ]
[ Laughs ] Send those to me.
I will, I will. Okay, okay. Cool.
[ Laughter ]
Half these chicks didn't even text me in the hospital.
Can we please hang out this summer? Please.
I mean, I still miss a muggy Juneteenth
street fair from back home,
but of course we can hang out if every party's like this.
It is. [ Laughs ]
House or field?
Field. Def. [ Laughter ]
Oooh! Do Drake next.
He escaped to Canada.
Y'all are joking about house or field?
Colorism is what keeps us all in that slave mentality,
and it's mad disrespectful to the ancestors
and to everyone here.
No, they just being dumb because of Juneteenth.
Don't trip. Come on.
New bitch? Field AF.
[ Laughter ]
How about I snatch a couple of rows
of that dusty-ass weave off that scalp?
A bitch can try. I can try --
-Nikki! -Let go!
-Nikki! -Let go! Let go!
[ Indistinct shouting ]
Calm down.
Crazy.
Nikki!
♪♪
This is what I wanted to show you.
Negro, what is all this?
Welcome to my VIP skybox.
Oh.
Go ahead. Okay.
Make yourself at home.
Take it in, look around.
[ Chuckles ]
You guys can take five.
Thank you.
It's not official yet.
I haven't landed an invite to pitch to Teddy,
but this is what it'll feel like
in the most important design I've ever done.
Mm. You know, open air, relaxing.
Just imagine all this in this stadium.
Mm.
This project could get me one step closer to my dream.
You know, I want to create meaningful commercial spaces
for us, by us.
Mm, I love that.
I have the same fire.
Where do you get yours from?
Honestly, I want to stand on my own.
Over in Edgartown, I'm the man, you know?
But everywhere else on this island,
they see me as the bodyguard's son that took a handout.
And the Franklins, they -- they treat me like family,
but still, I'm trying to step out of their shadow.
Wow. Well, um, if I'm gonna be spending time
in your VIP box,
I need to know what's on the menu.
Well, what you want to order?
To start.
♪ Odo you blow my mind, oh
♪♪
I'm not this girl.
What girl?
The one who gets in fights at parties.
But that game?
Judging people off their skin color?
Might as well have a brown paper bag test at the door.
I got in a fight for the same thing last year.
My grandma had just died.
And she was my best friend.
And I wasn't really coping.
I'm so sorry.
You know, someone just posted a --
a video of it on social media.
I-I didn't even know anyone recorded it.
And now I'm just...
"angry Black girl" for life, so...
That's not the girl I met.
Or the girl I want to get to know.
I actually have a mistake of my own
I'm not sure how to take back.
I lied about Lauren pushing me off that yacht.
Honestly, I-I was drunk,
so I'm not exactly sure what happened,
but there's no way Lauren pushed me.
I just woke up in that hospital room
still so angry with her.
We're...
like...
That's your boo.
I saw it on your phone.
But you can still tell the truth.
Or, you know, you can let it fester into trauma
and, uh, you can be like me --
at a party one night,
swinging on bitches and crying on a kayak.
[ Both laugh ]
♪♪
[ Laughs ]
Lauren: You know about me and Taylor?
Quincy: Of course I know. I mean, Taylor's kinda extra,
but if that's your type...
Why do we have to hide things in this family?
Like Grandma Rose? And my sexuality?
It's stupid.
I just wish I could find a way to make Mom listen.
Last time I lurked outside the kids' room,
I learned how "cringey" I could be.
[ Chuckles ]
I'm glad that they're a team. Mm.
Even if it is just to drag us mercilessly.
I mean, I never had that as an only child.
Well, there is strength in numbers.
Is there?
I mean, I never wanted a sibling.
I always thought there was a finite amount of love
to go around.
I was 9 when I learned that, in my family,
affection could be turned off like a light switch.
Especially when my father sent my mother away.
And Angela's mother.
She was his mistress.
What?
Raymond, Angela is my...
half-sister.
My father confirmed it.
So, what does she want?
I don't know.
And I offered her a lot of money to go away.
Hmm.
See, and that's why you dislike her.
She's making you do something you hate.
She's making you wait and see.
♪♪
Aah!
Who the hell are you?
♪♪
[ Laughs ]
What, are you -- you Shaft now?
Part of me -- Part of me
thought that you wouldn't be foolish enough to come out here.
You bought a piece of land here in 1984.
About a few days after Darius and I had our...
falling out. [ Laughs ]
You mean after you killed him.
And then you bought up all the land around it.
Mm-hmm.
There's an endangered species of bird that nests
at a beach nearby here -- the piping plover.
Now, I bought this land as part of a local effort
to help protect their habitat.
And like so many others,
these plovers are seasonal visitors to the island.
Eventually, they leave, which is exactly
what I need Angela to do -- leave Oak Bluffs.
I told you last night, I want your help with that.
And I told you that Angela's stubborn as a tick.
She ain't leaving.
And I'm done playing your game.
Now, is he out here or not?
Hmm.
[ Car door closes ]
I called your bluff. You called mine.
But I still hold leverage over you,
and when it suits me, I will use it.
♪♪
Nicole Aisha Vaughn -- where you been?
I-I was at the beach with Taylor.
Hold up. Are you high?
It's not that big of a deal.
It is a big deal, Nikki.
This is the behavior that got you in trouble last year.
I'm not having a remix of that.
[ Sighs ]
Give me your phone.
Now, Nicole.
I'm putting a tracking app on it
and deleting social media for a week.
I can't believe...
What is this?
Please don't play that, Mom.
Please don't play it.
Teen Girl: You're lookin' like a skillet that needs some grease.
Nikki: Say that again, bitch.
You heard me. I said skillet.
[ Crowd gasping ]
Is this the fight that got you in trouble last year?
Somebody called you that?
No.
They were talking about Mama Eve's dark skin.
She came for parent weekend that one time you went to Beautycon.
Why didn't you tell me?
Because you and I don't talk like that.
And I know you're trying, but I miss talking to her.
And I miss having more family around.
And I wish she was here.
She was my best friend.
♪♪
[ Door closes ]
Man, all last year, I didn't see the pain,
I just saw her acting out.
And now I'm so busy building this business,
and I missed it again.
I'm failing my daughter.
Oh, lies all damn day.
Every minute of the past year
has been about you saving your baby girl.
Even coming here.
You just gotta keep reminding yourself of that.
Keep working. Keep pushing. Mm-hmm.
What was that Eve used to say?
Uh, "Grab a bull by the horns, not by the butt."
Grab that bull by the horn and run, girl.
[ Chuckles ] For Nikki.
Mm.
Now, you got to play smarter,
not harder.
I'm gonna need a dress
for the "Red & Black on the Green" function.
And shoes. Uh-huh.
What, you got a red, green, and black invitation?
I need to get in that incubator program,
so I'm gonna sneak into Leah's little party
and talk to the one person who's above her pay grade --
Teddy.
♪♪
♪ Can't tell me, can't tell me, can't tell me ♪
♪ You can't tell me nothing
♪ Big break, now I'm gonna take, sayonara to them haters ♪
♪ Bye-bye, see ya later
♪ I can, I can spend your money ♪
♪ Fast, faster than you make it ♪
♪ Once I show you how I do it, it's a dead conversation ♪
♪ Watch me snake with it
♪ Now watch me snake with it
♪ S-S-S, shake with it
♪ Watch me snake with it
♪♪
♪ I'm swerving it, moving it, switching it like a Ducati ♪
Man: Mr. Franklin.
♪ Got everyone watching me like I'm in a new Bugatti ♪
I wasn't prepared for our conversation earlier.
I regret that.
And I wasn't prepared to ask for what I wanted.
So there is something.
A place in the incubator program.
You can pull that string for me.
A future for my business means a future for my own daughter.
A direct ask is my only option.
Mm.
Motivated.
Resourceful.
Stubborn as a tick.
[ Chuckles ]
You're more complex than this cognac.
Leah oversees that program.
I can't overstep.
So, no?
Well, then, I guess nothing
is still the best you have to offer me.
Hey, Granddad? It's Nana.
♪♪
What's going on? I don't know. She's here.
What? What is she doing here?
Mommy, let me just help you. I can walk by myself, damn it.
I just want to get a rose for my daughter!
Lauren: I've never seen Nana Rose like this.
What's wrong with her?
She hasn't been complying with treatment.
This is a manic episode.
Did you bring her?
I'm so sorry, Mom.
These roses aren't the right color!
What is going on?
Leah! Come quick.
These roses, anything that you see
with pink undertones, they all must go.
No, no, Mommy, I'm your daughter. I'm Leah.
You're not my damn daughter!
What did you do to her? Nothing.
Why does she think that you're me?
I don't know.
Mommy, come on. Let's just get you back in your chair.
No. Get your damn hands off me!
I don't know you!
Ow! Help!
Mommy, Mommy!
-Oh! -Oh, my God!
[ Spectators murmuring ]
Rose, now easy, easy. Easy.
You'll be alright. Come on now. You're gonna be okay.
Careful, careful.
Easy, easy, easy. Easy, there you are.
It's okay. It's okay, Mommy.
You're not my damn daughter!
I am your damn daughter.
That woman is Daddy's bastard, Angela --
from his affair with Eve, the maid!
Well, why would she be here?
To embarrass me in front of all my friends?
Why is she here?
Oh, no, no, no. You don't get to run from this.
♪♪
The gossip sites have already picked us up.
You have humiliated us after all this family has done,
after all I've done.
All because you couldn't keep your penis in your marriage.
No, it's because you could not keep your emotions to yourself.
Now, if you want to put blame on someone,
place it directly on your shoulders.
You need to watch how you're talking to my wife.
Well, your wife made this mess. She needs to fix it.
You're the great Teddy Franklin, right?
You fix it.
Leah: It's okay.
♪♪
I'm not gonna ask you again, Leah.
Handle it.
Angela: You know, my mama always used to say
she'd rather grab a bull by the horns than by the butt.
Homespun hood wisdom. Charming.
People only like gossip they think is strong like tea.
If we step on that stage together,
present as a family,
they'll stop talking 'cause the tea ain't strong.
♪♪
Hello, hello. Can you hear me?
[ Laughs ]
Well, good afternoon, everyone.
And welcome to "Red & Black on the Green."
[ Applause ] My mother hasn't hosted
her beloved Rose Ceremony for years.
And as you saw, though her spirit
is quite strong,
her health prevents it.
But her intentions for this event
is especially poignant today.
While passing traditions from one generation to the next
can be uplifting,
it can also be rooted in the pain of slavery.
Without removing the shackles of our past,
are any of us truly free?
Today has shown me that my family
is only as free as its secrets.
Unfortunately, this announcement today came out
in a way that we did not intend.
It's only recently that, um...
we found out that my father
has another daughter. [ Audience gasping, murmuring ]
This woman recently came into our lives,
and, tonight, we welcome her, out of our secret past,
into the strength of family.
My sister, Angela Vaughn.
[ Applause ]
♪♪
Welcome to the family.
[ Applause ]
♪♪
Thank you, Leah, for that beautiful introduction.
What are you doing?
The Franklins have embraced me as a daughter, sister,
and fellow businesswoman
by granting me a spot in the Franklin Holdings
small-business incubator program.
This opportunity will help me grow Eve's Crown
into something my new family can be proud of
and something to pass on to future generations.
♪♪
[ Chuckles ]
Guess I am "Franklin material" after all.
[ Applause ]
[ Camera shutters clicking ]
♪♪
Woman: Angela, this way.
♪♪
Teddy: So, there's no way that Angela
can trace this back to me, right?
Well, I created a backdoor that's password protected.
She'll never know you have access.
[ Chuckles ]
You know, I don't think Angela is a problem.
She's just here to build her business.
She's a good woman.
I would agree, but, um, she used the family announcement
to work her way into my company,
and I want to make sure that's where her agenda ends.
I made such a mess when I fell for the help.
[ Chuckles ]
Half of my family was "the help."
My Dad was "the help."
I'm sorry.
I meant no offense.
As a matter of fact, um...
I've been thinking about how much I've asked
of you lately with Angela.
It's probably distracted you from work.
Um, let me offer you something to make up for it.
No, you don't -- you don't need to pay me.
Well, would you accept an opportunity?
To come into the office and pitch the VIP boxes?
Construction on the stadium will move into the next phase soon.
I'd love to see what you come up with.
I -- I'd love to.
Alright.
Thank you for your loyalty, son.
♪♪
[ Cellphone ringing ]
I'll let you get that.
Thank you.
[ Door opens ]
[ Door closes ]
Yeah. Dr. Briscoe: Mr. Franklin?
Dr. Briscoe.
You wanted me to call you as soon as I got the results.
The tremors, the slurring is all conclusive.
I'm sorry, but you have Parkinson's.
♪♪
[ Cellphone clicks ]
[ Cellphone thuds ]
♪♪
[ Door opens ]
[ Sighs ]
[ Door closes ]
[ Voice breaking ] A sister?
How could you not tell me about Nana Rose?
She's my grandmother. And these new people?
I'm just supposed to accept that they're my family?
I am trying so hard to change
and just accept myself for who I am,
but I can't continue to be this perfect person
that you always expect me to be.
I'm tired.
Lauren, you are perfect.
I'm sorry I ever made you feel otherwise.
I understand why you brought Nana Rose tonight.
And I forgive you.
And as for Taylor, I spoke to the lawyers,
and she has finally come to her senses.
She dropped the charges.
So you see, things are already looking up.
Come here.
♪♪
I just need to know that you can accept me
for who I really am, Mom.
Yes.
♪♪
I was raised to hide my flaws,
to project perfection to the world, and --
and then I expected you to deny who you are.
I did to you what my father did to me.
I just want you to be free.
♪♪
♪ Momma said be careful
♪ Out here in these streets
♪ Keep your day ones close
♪ And watch your enemies
Angela: Oh.
She was everything to me,
and I just...
I feel like I'm losing family
that I don't have much of to begin with.
Mm.
Yeah.
And I can't believe they publicly accepted you.
You have family now. Mm.
I'm actually kind of jealous of you.
Mm.
Today, he stood up there and he called you his.
You know how I'm always posting on the 'Gram?
It's because I have this fantasy
that he's gonna find my page one day
and see that my eyes look just like his.
"His"?
Um, my dad.
But I-I know it was just, like, a one-night stand
and you don't know him.
But I don't know.
I just -- I think about it sometimes.
It's not...
♪ Gotta keep my head on straight ♪
Well, uh, you know, it's not much,
but I was thinking that we could honor Mama Eve
by keeping it in the family
and making you the new face of Eve's Crown.
Me? Mm-hmm.
Like, on all the bottles?
On all the bottles. [ Chuckles ]
You're beautiful.
And you stand in your grace.
You know, even when you get your little attitude.
But that's 'cause you know who you are.
I wish I knew that when I was your age.
But that's one of the lessons of motherhood --
your kids teach you things.
I'm learning
there's some things around here I gotta fix.
♪ It's like they wanna
Guard: Hands off the desk.
[ Indistinct conversations ]
[ Radio chatter ]
[ Door buzzes ]
♪♪
[ Door closes, buzzes ]
♪♪
Angela.
What the hell are you doing here?
I think it's time.
It's time for Nikki to meet her father.
♪♪