Social Distance

What the fuck?

What took you so long?

Thought you was gonna be here an hour ago?

Man, it's straight Mad Max out there.

People ain't got the sense they were born with.

Out here rioting in the streets during a damn pandemic.

It's crazy, man.

You see what they did?

Damn.

You know what I should've done?

I should have went to the gun store in March when I had the chance.

Had me on the phone with insurance all morning,

using my high-pitched voice.

Hey, how's the work coming?

I set up the cameras.

How am I supposed to hear you through your mask?

We're outside, ain't we?

Six feet apart, you safe.

Just saying, I got here early and set up the cameras and the switcher.

So if you just focus on these speakers, maybe we get outta here early?

Cables need to be swapped.

I got to use the XLRs for the Electro-Voice.

Wait, why are we using those?

'Cause the goddamn looters stole my good speakers.

Lucky I had these dinosaurs still in storage.

How many times I got to tell you not to set the exposure to auto?

No big deal. I'll fix it.

You know I have to reposition and demo each setup after we finish with the audio?

To guarantee the quality.

You, uh, sure you need me here for that, today?

You got somewhere else better to be?

You think this is how I wanted to show up to my only contract in three months,

with some busted up old speakers?

No, sir. I didn't say you did.

You're acting like it, man.

If you're gonna be mad, be mad at these looters.

Destroying people's property who was struggling to survive

during this pandemic.

A lot of the things I've seen online was peaceful protesters.

They don't show that on the news.

Except I know that they was looting 'cause they broke in my van, stole shit

and left a goddamn gang tag.

That's not what that is.

What?

It's not a gang tag.

ACAB, stands for "all cops are bastards."

Really? Get that smirk off your face.

All cops are bastards?

Who that's for? And what is that even accomplishing, man?

My uncle was a lieutenant. He bust his ass every day to provide for his family.

They calling him a bastard?

I don't know. I guess all cops are bastards,

except John's uncle who just wasn't as sketchy.

You're lucky you got jokes. Tell you what,

you destroy another man's property, you deserve whatever is coming your way.

I wish I would've ran up on one of them white boy anarchists,

out in the streets, busting up windows.

Put me in a room alone with them for 30 seconds,

would had a field day whooping that ass.

I gotta take this.

It's a free country.

Hey, baby.

Hey. Okay, so I narrowed down our sign options to these.

Top three.

-One sec. -I gotta--

These are the ones I got.

The neon one 'cause I'm like, it's in your face. It's the future.

I got this black one 'cause it's like black, like blackness.

I also got this one.

- Because it's like-- Yeah? - Ayana.

Look, the posters and everything, they're real cool. Um…

I'm worried John's not gonna let me get outta here

in time for the protest. That's all.

Are you serious?

You know, it's like, does he not know he's Black too?

Overseer John on the wrong side of history.

Uh, I think we might want to reconsider that nickname,

in the light of the current moment.

I'm not comparing, I just--

You know what? You're right.

-We should lift each other up. -Listen.

I'm gonna do everything I can to talk some sense into him, okay?

Um, but one thing's for sure, I promise I will not miss this protest.

It's way too important.

Okay, cool, 'cause I made mad posters and you need to carry one.

I mean, I'll carry you if you ask me.

Oh, my God. You're so corny. Bye.

You, huh, want me to connect these speaker cables?

Yeah. That's why they're there.

Can you tell me why white people I barely know keep texting me

asking me if I'm okay?

White sympathy texts. Think somebody on Black Twitter put 'em up to it.

White people are so confused.

"Heard about this racism thing.

Wanted to make sure you didn't get murdered since we last spoke."

They always end it with, "Feel free not to respond."

Bitch, I always feel free.

Hey, um…

So, you know how I was telling you about those peaceful protests earlier?

Yeah. What about it?

I-- I-- I was wondering, maybe since I got here early to set up the cameras,

maybe I could get off early to go to one.

Leave work early to go march in the streets.

-Yeah. -Hell no. Absolutely not.

I should've figured.

Should've figured what?

That you would be on the wrong side of history.

What you got to tell me about history?

You was in diapers when Obama got elected.

I was seven.

That's the problem with y'all generation. Think y'all discovered racism.

Man, now ain't the time. Get back to work.

I'm sorry.

I'm just curious. What exactly am I supposed to do then,

every time another Black person gets murdered by the police?

What? Just shrug it off?

Not fight back? Sit and do nothing?

What makes you think you're doing nothing?

We are setting up a remote graduation

for a bunch of rich, privileged, white private school kids.

This is a Black-owned business.

This is how you fight.

You work hard, you learn and you build something that lasts.

It's hard to build something that lasts

when an officer has his knee on your neck for nine minutes.

The man screamed out for his dead mother.

Are the police stopping you from doing your job?

Why you wanna get in these big-ass crowds,

when Corona is hitting Black people hardest?

I'll wear a mask. You were telling me not to.

Wear a mask for what? So you can fight racism?

How you fighting it?

Is it going somewhere if you don't get out there today?

Y'all kids ain't got no strategy. Y'all thought about demands?

We demand that they charge the officers that murdered a man in broad daylight.

We demand they defund and dismantle the racist institution of American police.

-I could go on all day. -You're tripping.

-Black people need police. -I'm tripping?

You know American police was founded on the idea of slave patrols

and the oppression of Black lives?

What janky-ass history book you get that from?

They got police in Kenya. Police in Sweden. Police in Japan.

Is that from slave patrols?

This boy don't even know what he's protesting.

I'm protesting the systematic killing of Black people by the State.

And you should be too.

You're screaming at the sky without a plan.

You and your friends, y'all here playing civil rights hero.

Out here destroying your own damn city.

Y'all say y'all out here in this man's memory?

-Looks like an excuse. -His name is George Floyd!

I know his name. Keep your six feet.