The Least Among You

College boy thought he'd have him a color TV.

-Hey, y'all, look-a here. -I didn't do anything.

Suit on the outside and a Negro on the inside.

I didn't do anything.

You did something.

That's not me!

Not you?

Then who are you, Mr. Richard Kelly?

-I would like to propose a toast. -Just hold on a second.

I sent in an application to the Wesbury Theological College

here in town.

Honey, they've offered you a full scholarship with room and board.

-You did what? -So, you want to be a preacher?

-No. No, no. -Now look here.

You can go a long ways with this. Social worker, professor.

-Pastor, of course. -Mama, you see this?

ICC. International Computing Corporation. I beat out 100 guys for this position.

-If you take this job... -If? Mama, this is my dream.

No more living like we do. I start this job on Monday.

That was a silly thing to do.

Hey, Richard, I've been looking all over for you, man.

-What's the drama? -Some pigs just beat up a brother

-and his mother for no reason. -What?

There's a protest at Avalon and Imperial.

-Come on. -No, really, don't go.

-Good. I'm out of here. -Almost.

-What? -I got you a plea bargain deal.

Deferred adjudication.

Look, you gotta take that seminary scholarship.

You serve nine months of a probated sentence.

All right? You complete two semesters. 3.5 GPA, and your sentence is suspended.

It's wiped off.

No, man, we talked about me doing probation while I'm working.

As in, at my new job, in my new office, with my new salary.

Yeah, 30 people are dead, 4000 arrested, and you put a cop in the hospital.

This is a darn good deal.

I told you, I was trying to stop the violence. I'll testify in front of a jury.

Yeah, that's what you'll say.

And I got 4000 other brothers who are going to say the same thing.

Take the deal, Richard.

You do not wanna be another black man in one of their prisons.

Take the deal, Richard.

You waiting for a tip?

I got one for you. Try Beverly Hills next time.

You can just leave that bag inside.

The owner will be back to pick it up later, all right?

-This is mine. This is mine. -Huh?

Do you know where I can go get a room assignment?

-Yeah, you want administration. -Thanks.

Don't hurt yourself.

-Hi. -Yes?

Everybody gone for lunch?

Yes, but they'll be back real soon.

So, if you could come back later...

-Richard Kelly. -You know my name?

Yes, well, Dr. Beckett had me pull your file.

He's the president, you know.

And I think he wants to see you. Come with me.

-I much prefer the larger theater. -Yeah.

And then the convention center is slightly smaller, but I think it works.

Looks fantastic.

Dr. Beckett, this is the student you mentioned.

Yes, indeed.

A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Kelly. Alan Beckett.

Pleasure to meet you, sir.

I was just showing Mr. Tremaine out.

Tremaine investment Group.

I read about you in Fortune magazine.

Very nice to meet you, sir. Richard Kelly.

Seminary on a hill. Long way from Watts.

So was UCLA, sir.

-Good day, Alan. -Good day.

Busy man. Have a seat.

-I am so glad that you're here, Mr. Kelly. -Thank you, sir.

It may interest you to know that I personally awarded your scholarship.

-Really? -The committee was hesitant.

But that essay that you submitted with your application

was brief, but passionate.

I was anxious to get here, probably.

The big picture is that Wesbury must change with the times.

And that's why you're here, Richard, to pave the way for more Negro students,

to be their champion.

You mean I'm the first black student at this school?

But the perfect choice.

An honors graduate, a leader on campus.

I didn't come here expecting to be anyone's champion.

You came here to be a pastor.

-Yes, that's right. -Martin Luther King started as a pastor.

You think he ever expected to turn a nation on its head?

-Probably not. -So, are you up for the job?

What am I supposed to do?

Make A's. Graduate work here is tough. Set an example.

-I can do that. -Good.

More importantly,

because we're a Christian seminary, this reform must start on a ground level,

not by me forcing it down people's throats.

You help me with this, Richard, and I will help you in every way possible.

-Okay. -Good.

I marched in Mississippi too, so I know what lies ahead of us.

I will be your silent advocate behind the scenes.

Thank you.

That was my son.

A boy. Strong-minded.

Anyway, welcome.

Hey, I'm Fred. You must be Richard.

-How'd you know? -That administrative girl asked.

She sort of described you.

I said, "Shoot, I don't care, as long as nobody steals nothing."

Fred Leak. Dallas, Texas.

-Fred Leak? -Yeah, yeah, I know.

Peter Leak, Take a Leak. Heard it all.

So you must be first semester too, huh? Put all the rookies on the same floor.

You know, goes with camaraderie and all. Let me help you with that.

Hey, that girl didn't ask me if I minded rooming with a Texas cracker.

Maybe you ought to call her.

I'm just joking.

-Camaraderie and all. -Yeah.

In these turbuIent times, the Church is desperate for Ieaders.

Scripture says, "My peopIe perish for Iack of vision. "

You may be wondering, "Do I have that vision?

"Am I truly called to this ministry?"

I can't answer this.

But what I can do is create an optimal environment

to inspire your hearts and your minds.

To this end, I am pleased to announce

the beginning of construction on our $10 million media complex,

which will be the most technologically advanced learning center

of any seminary in the nation.

And we have Mr. Stansfield G. Tremaine to thank.

Would you please stand, sir?

For the next several weeks, Mr. Tremaine will be visiting some of our classes

in an effort to get to know us more personally.

He too understands that our seminary must turn out leaders

for these trying times. Thank you, and God bless you all.

-Hey, there. -How you doing?

-Samuel J. Benton. -Richard Kelly. Nice to meet you.

-I'm sort of in a hurry. -Don't let me hold you up.

Get on.

-You lose something? -Finding it.

These folks are in such a rush about getting new books,

just tossed the old ones out.

They're probably obsolete.

Ms. Kim over at the office,

she lets me know ahead of time, kind of secret like.

You should see my collection of obsolete books.

You read this stuff?

You should come visit sometime. The missus would like that.

Thanks. Maybe when I get my head above water.

These fellows around here ain't used to a young brother like yourself.

You live around here?

Can you believe LBJ lecturing the whole country?

"I will use every means at my disposal.

"The Negro man will win his right to participate in his government."

-It's not a speech, it's a threat. -There's never enough. Like Watts.

Watts wasn't just about looting and burning and all that.

Watts happened when people got sick of the brutality.

So they gave it back.

You know, just so I know,

why don't you use that back shower from now on, okay?

You know, I think I'm gonna stay in any shower I want.

What?

Hey, you know what, you're finished here, Nick. Get out.

You ain't the only one around here who knows how to use a knife, buddy boy.

Jesus sees a woman carrying jars of water and asks for a drink.

She asks, "Why would a Jew be willing to share a cup

"with a Samaritan who the Jews think are unclean?"

He then tells her of her life as a prostitute.

Then?

She recognizes he's a prophet and she asks him what he wants.

He wants her to stop sleeping around.

The disciples labeled her vulgarity as a result of her Samaritan ethnicity.

Professor, it was racism taught by Church leaders,

maybe like today.

I mean, Jesus called the leaders a brood of vipers.

That's one interpretation.

He called us to be peacemakers, not insurgents.

The Ecclesiastes says, "There's a time for war and a time for peace."

What about a time for learning?

Include today's discussion with the next four chapters.

Your essays are on my desk.

I didn't start anything. He came at me with this dirty Negro bull.

Richard, we train young men here in the ways of God.

-And that excludes punching people out. -So you're in favor of segregated showers?

You allowed schoolboy name-calling to escalate into a brawl.

Procedure requires disciplinary action.

Perhaps you come from somewhere where discipline is not highly regarded.

Listen, my mother raised two children, with no help, working nights.

Richard, Branch Rickey had the choice of 10 Negro ballplayers,

all of whom were better than Jackie Robinson.

But what Mr. Rickey needed

was someone who had the combination of talent and maturity.

Now, was I wrong about you?

-No. -They expect violence. Don't give it to them.

Let them learn your truth, which is their truth.

You expect a lot.

Any more trouble, you make sure I'm the first one to know.

Now, let's see some results.

Racism, right here, where they're training people to preach mercy and justice.

But for whom? The right people, the ones who deserve it?

Sit down, holy man.