You don't want to go in there. It stinks.
My, my, my.
Aren't you my little songbirds
from the cafeteria?
Weren't they with you?
Who, these guys?
I'm sure you've learned the school song by now.
You better know it
because this time
if you don't get it right,
you're suspended for 10 days each.
Is that clear?
Yes, sir.
All right, let me hear it.
All right, fellas, let him hear it.
Fair eastside
fair eastsl-l-ide
fair eastside
by thy side we'll stand
and always praise thy name
praise thy name, praise thy name
to heaven, yeah
lend our hearts and hands
to help increase thy fame
ooh, lord
the honor, yeah
of old eastside high
calls forth our loyalty
loyalty, loyalty
so cheer-
all right, all right!
Who taught you that?
Answer me!
I know you didn't do it yourselves.
Sams!
What?
Who taught you this song?
Speak up!
Mrs. Powers.
Mrs. Powers, eh?
Come with me, all of you.
...out this world
gonna shoulder up my cross
gonna take it home to my jesus
ain't that good news?
I got a savior in that kingdom
ain't that good news?
I got a savior in that kingdom
ain't that good news?
No, no, no, people.
You must remember,
we need intonation, phonation, accuracy, and pitch.
Now, this is your note.
Hmm
mrs. Powers.
Yes, sir.
These hoodlums told me something.
Did you change the school song?
Mrs. Powers-
let her answer!
The children thought the song was boring.
Boring, huh?
I have never heard
a school song like that.
I didn't authorize you to change it,
did i?
No, you didn't.
I want everyone to learn that song
in english and spanish. Immediately.
Take a bow, mrs. Powers.
You've rewritten our alma mater.
The honor
of old eastside high
brings forth our loyalty
loyalty, loyalty
so cheer for dear old eastside...
how's it going?
What you got in there, malachi?
My future.
All right.
...aboard eastside
all aboard, all aboard
yes, eastside
all aboard, all aboard
how's it going, mr. Darnell?
Good, good. That's great.
...high
ge-e-et
fellas?
On
that
train train
ms. Levias...
hi, mr. Clark.
I just heard something you wouldn't believe.
Uh, mr. Clark,
mr. O'malley just brought this from trenton.
The school's practice test.
I had to wait all this time for this?
Next time i order you to go get something,
you better damn well go get it yourself!
Oh, no. Oh, my god.
Give me your attention, everyone.
First three rows take 4 steps forward.
Right now! Come on!
1, 2, 3, 4.
Ok, that's good. Turn around.
Hold it, mr. O'malley!
What's your excuse?
I was filling out a big stack of forms.
I didn't know what time it was.
This is a prime example
of the kind of inefficiency and apathy
that is destroying this school.
Mr. O'malley, i can't believe you're that bad.
I'll give you a chance to revitalize your image.
Set up a student-peer tutoring program.
Maybe the students can help themselves.
Lord knows, you teachers aren't doing the job.
Ms. Levias, i want remedial reading on saturdays.
Volunteers will get regular pay.
We can't afford overtime.
Mr. Clark, the problem isn't our pay.
What is the problem as you see it?
How to get the students in on saturday.
You hear that, people?
How do we get the students in on saturdays
for remedial reading?
I'll tell you how.
We'll go to their homes.
We'll talk to their folks.
If their folks can't read,
they can come in, too.
The only way we'll get anything done
is to get everyone involved.
And that goes for all of you!
It's time to get involved.
Everyone in this section,
put both your hands above your heads.
Raise your hands!
Put them up!
You people represent the 70% of our students
who just failed the practice exam.
70%!
But that is not their failure.
I don't blame them.
The failure is yours.
That's right, yours.
How many hours do you spend preparing your lesson plans?
How often do you stay after school
to give those children-
the ones you know need it-
the extra help that they require?
Keep your hands up.
Now you're getting a hint of the hopelessness and shame
that makes those failing students
throw up their hands
at the thought of facing a world
for which you have not prepared them.
You're getting an inkling of the despair they feel
when left to the mercy of the streets.
Keep your hands up high.
Look around at yourselves.
Turn and look at yourselves!
Because you are failing to educate them,
this is the posture our students will wind up in,
only they'll be staring down the barrel of a gun!
Ooh, yeah, yeah
ahh ha ha
if a man is born in luxury
it proves to me through history
he is somebody
if a man is born in poverty
privation and misery
he is nobody
everybody is somebody
nobody is nobody
i mean, apart from all the wealthy
ooh
everybody is somebody
oh, yeah
so look at me here, man?
Ooh ooh ooh
oh, yeah
ooh ooh ooh
poverty is what, what it takes
it makes such dangerous mistakes about who
who is somebody
when a woman has a child
before that child is born
she, she is somebody
everybody is somebody
nobody is nobody
i mean, apart from all the wealthy
doo doo doo doo doo
everybody is somebody
yeah, oh, yeah
everybody is somebody
all right, you guys, forget it.
All right, i got one.
Who's this?
People, move to the right of the halls.
Move expeditiously.
Francesca, come over here.
How are you?
Fine, mr. Clark.
How's your sister?
She broke her leg.
That's good.
You have any problem, come to my office.
Here's the key.
Ooh, that ain't the key.
Sams, sams. Where's sams?
Anybody see sams?
Pull your pants up, son.
Clarence, come here.
Get your hormones under control, boy.
Let me feel your butt.
Joe: Clarence.
What do you think you're doing?
I was just...
i was just, um...
francesca, come here.
What is he doing? Can he do me?
Does he have the juice?
No way, mr. Clark.
Clarence, report to my office.
Mr. Clark, i was just fooling around.
Got you.
How do you learn the alphabet ? be on time
come on, sams! You can do it.
...he's on time
j-o-e c-l-a...
don't give up!
Fall in together,
going "how do you like the weather?"
Going "how do you learn the alphabet?"
Be on time
school bell ring at a quarter to 9:00
that's it, sams! Stay with it, boy!
...be on time
"how do you learn the alphabet?" be on time
how do you spell eastside , eastside high?
How do you spell joe clark? He's on time
j-o-e c-l...
holy cow! I'm out of here.
Clark can't even get them past that test.
I thought we'd settled this.
With the doors chained, that school's a firetrap.
He's laughing at us.
The man has a legitimate problem.
How does he keep drug pushers out of his school
if their buddies can let them walk on in?
He's got a point.
This doesn't concern you.
Don, we can both go to jail.
By statute, we are legally responsible.
If a fire broke out and a kid got hurt,
they're going to get trampled.
A bunch of savages anyway.
Savages?
Don, can't you control your men?
Ladies and gentlemen,
please leave me alone with mrs. Barrett.
Don, i want to talk to you.
I'll call you later at your office.
Thank you, frank. Close the door, eh?
I want to apologize for the chief's use of language.
I don't like none of you people.
Then let's cut through the formalities.
What do you want?
Clark!
Just like that. Head on a platter.
You think i got an attitude.
Let me tell you what i think.
You like clark because he's a guard dog,
does your dirty work, keeps the black folk in line.
That's fine, but you got to get re-elected.
I got enough folks lined up with me
to give you a damn hard time, and i'll get more.
Unless i do what?
Appoint me to the school board
so we can vote clark out.
Otherwise we'll have to vote you out.
It's always a pleasure to see citizens
avail themselves of the democratic process.
My job will be easy.
You're not too popular these days, are you?
I'll sic the fire chief on clark.
Will that satisfy you?
Yes. And then i'll get the school board to dismiss him.
Then you'll come out publicly for me.
It'll be my pleasure, mr. Mayor.
That barrett is a bitch on wheels.
Smart. She's smart.
Yeah. She got your number.
When am i supposed to do this?
Now we'd just disrupt things.
Give him another week to prepare for that test.
Then we'll catch him with chains on the doors.
We nail him,
and we make her happy.
Politics. What a business.
It's just like yours, putting out fires.
The mayor's going to nail me, huh?
What do i always say?
He's got the hammer and nails himself.
These are some of my white students.
Frankie, bernard, steve.
Boys, this is mr. Rosenberg, school attorney.
Let him hear the school song.
Fair eastside
by thy side by thy side?
We'll stand we'll stand?
And always praise thy name-
all right!
I can't stand this. Needs work, fellas.
Some things you can't teach.
Bad singing isn't genetic.
How's your mother?
She got that job. She's feeling good.
Girls, what are you doing?
The phone's broken. My baby's sick.
Make your call from the office.
When will you girls learn?
I ain't ashamed about my baby.
Nobody's saying you should be ashamed.
And she ain't ashamed of me.
Whenever she look at me,
she don't see no wrong.
Ok. Go on and make your call.
Mr. Vanzetti, let these girls make a call.
Hey, mr. Clark.
We can't let them know who told you.
Why not?
Mr. Clark, we got a problem.
How come you leave us out?
Everything's for the black kids.
The gospel chorus, football, basketball
is for the blacks.
I'm short. I can't play basketball.
The point is, you're ignoring us.
We're getting really ticked off.
With a mouth like yours,
you ought to study law.
Really?
You kids wait for me in my office.
If you all talk at once,
i can't do anything.
I'll be with you ladies in a minute.
Boss, you and mr. Rosenberg better wait out here.
Miss lynn, give markus a pass.
Ms. Levias, is everyone here?
Yes, sir.
Let me have your attention.
With the help of my ubiquitous, clandestine informants
i have learned that the mayor has told the fire chief
to catch me with chains on the doors.
They want to prosecute me and get me out of here.
The security guards are our first line of defense.
If you see the fire chief, stop him at the gates.
Call in code 10 on your walkie-talkies.
We will repeat code 10 on the p.a. System.
All teachers and guards have keys to the exit doors.
When you hear code 10,
proceed to your assigned door and remove the chains.
Guards, resume your posts. Ms. Levias, take over.
Tell those kids in my office to meet me here 7th period.
How did it go?
It's under control.
I have the progress report
on the reading program.
I thought you'd like to hear it.
I would like to hear it.
I'd also like to hear the kids in my office,
and mr. Rosenberg, and dr. Napier.
I can't be 10 different places at the same time.
Maybe my vice principal can do something without me for once.
Mr. Clark.
I'll help you 7th period.
Excuse me.
Good night, mr. Clark.
Good night.
Mr. Clark.
Yes, ms. Levias.
May i talk to you for a minute, please?
What do you want?
I want you to transfer me.
To where?
Out of here.
This doesn't surprise me.
I've sensed resistance in you since our very first meeting.
You're an egomaniacal windbag.
Who you talking to? You!
You like to whip people who can't fight back.
I thought i could take it because i had a father
in the same kind of pain
that makes you such a bastard,
but i was wrong. Life is much too short.
I will not endure you any longer.
The only reason i haven't walked out
and half the staff with me
is because those children need us.
You're so busy talking discipline,
you forget to educate.
What the hell do you think i've been doing here?
You cleaned it up. That was easy.
Those children want to be helped.
They've done everything we've asked,
but i feel sorry for them.
They're not ready to take that test.
What the hell are you talking about?
I have done everything-
i. It is always i.
There are 300 teachers here.
You don't do it alone.
I don't have to listen to these accusations.
Youwilllisten!
All right, ms. Levias, go ahead and talk.
You've been flapping your mouth,
and you haven't heard a thing.
You haven't seen what's painfully obvious.
I'll tell you what-
no, let me finish!
Everybody here may not like you,
but we all applaud your effort.
What you don't understand
is the same people who support you
are the ones you're beating up!
You don't even say thank you.
You just constantly abuse them,
criticize them.
What the hell do you want from me?
I want you to get this straight.
Most of the teachers are here because they care
about those children, this school, this fight.
They're in it with you.
They take it home the same as you.
They are part of those children's lives.
You are thoughtless and cruel,
and it hurts.
And none of them deserve it.
They are sick of it, and so am i.
Ms. Levias.
What's this?
The transfer you asked for.
All right, people. Here we are.
This is the day.
In one hour,
you're going to take an exam administered by the state
to test your basic skills
and the quality of education at eastside high.
And i want to tell you
what the people out there are saying about you
and what they think about your chances.
They say you are inferior.
Come on!
Come on! Come on!
"You are just a bunch of niggers and spics and poor white trash."
"Education is wasted on you."
"You cannot learn!"
You're lost!
I mean all of you.
I want all the white students to stand up.
All my white students, stand up.
Come on.
Stand up. Stand up.
That's it. Come on, stand up.
These are my white children,
and they're the same as all of you.
They've got no place to go.
Otherwise, they would have abandoned us a long time ago,
but they couldn't.
So here they are at eastside, just like the rest of us.
You can sit down.
Are you getting my point, people?
Yes!
Is it sinking in?
Yes!
We sink, we swim.
We rise, we fall.
We meet our fate together!
Now, it took the help of a good, good friend
to make me know and understand that,
and i do understand it, and i'm grateful.
I'm eternally grateful.
And i've got a message for those people out there
who've abandoned you and written you off.
Can you hear me?
Yes!
Can you hear me?
Yes!
Good!
You are not inferior!
Your grades may be.
Your school may have been.
But you can turn that around
and make liars out of those bastards
in exactly one hour!
You'll take that test, pass it, and win!
So here's what i want you to do.
When you find your minds wandering,
i want you to knuckle back down and concentrate.
Concentrate!
Remember what's at stake
and show them what eastside high is all about-
a spirit that will not die!
Sometimes in our lives
we all have pain
we all have sorrow
but if we are wise
we know that there's always tomorrow
lean on me
when you're not strong
and i'll be your friend?
I'll help you carry on
for it won't be long
till i'm gonna need
somebody to lean on
you just call on me, brother
when you need a hand
we all need somebody to lean on
i just might have a problem?
That you'll understand
we all need somebody to lean on
why don't you lean on me?
Lean on me
if you need a friend
you can lean on me
i'll be your friend
lean on me
you can lean on me
come on and lean on me
lean on me
you can lean on me
please, won't you swallow your pride?
If i have things
you need to borrow
for no one can fill those of your needs
that you won't let go
why don't you just lean on?
Anytime
lean on
come on and lean on
lean on me, you can lean on me
if you need a friend
lean on me
you can lean on me
and if you got a problem
you can lean on me
i'm your problem solver?
You can lean on me
why don't you lean?
Lean on me
uh-huh
come on and lean on me
you can lean on me
call on me, brother
you can lean on me
sister, give me your hand
lean on me, you can lean on me
you can, you can, you can
lean on me, you can lean on me
swallow up your pride
lean on me, you can lean on...
please, children, people
lean on me, oh
eastside!
Eastside! Eastside!
Eastside!
Eastside! Eastside! Eastside! Eastside...
dum dum-dum-dum-dum
dum-dum-dum-dum
dum-dum-dum dum-dum
dum-dum
sometimes in our lives
we all have pain
we all have sorrow
dum-dum-dum
but if we are wise
we know that there's always tomorrow
i told you these things take time.
Just how long am i supposed to wait?
You boys are messing with the wrong female.
He won't let me in.
What's going on?
Would you talk to her?
I thought we had made a deal.
Don't broadcast it all over town.
I have got a school board meeting tonight
and enough votes to get clark kicked out
if i can prove he's chained those doors.
We can get that if you move on him today.
Chief gaines already tried that.
Bullshit! I've made promises of my own.
I've got people with me right now.
If i can't deliver-
just a minute.
And i do not issue idle threats.
Then don't, because i don't want to hear it.
Ok, chief.
Mrs. Barrett was promised some action.
I think it's time we get a court order
and get you past those guards.
Sounds good to me.
He ain't worth it.
Jerk.
That's right. He's a jerk.
I told you that.
You don't listen to me.
What are you two ladies doing in here?
Lillian, aren't you supposed to be in class?
Huh?
Kaneesha?
What's going on here?
Lillian?
What is this?
You'll have to ask her.
Kaneesha, what's the matter?
I got pregnant.
Please don't be mad at me.
Let me talk to her alone.
Did you tell your mother?
I can't.
Reggie's the father?
He says it's not his, but i know it is.
I've never been with no other boys.
I never meant for this to happen.
You girls never do.
So many of you bringing babies into this world
just to prove you can accomplish something.
And you're doing so well now, kaneesha.
There are other alternatives.
I'm scared. I don't know what to do.
I'll tell you what we'll do.
We'll have your mother come to the school.
We'll put our heads together.
I'm sure we'll be able to help you decide
what's best for you to do. Trust me?
Mr. Clark!
8:00 a.m. I'll call your mother.
What is it?
The fire chief.
He got past the gate.
Code 10! Get those chains off the door!
The enemy's here!
We got it locked, mr. Clark.
Mr. Clark, you're under arrest.
For what?
Basically for being an asshole.
Specifically for conspiracy to violate of the fire code.
I got no problem with the fire code.
The only problem here is you.
And your problem is your mouth.
Joe: Get those chains off the doors!
The enemy's here!
Guard: We got it locked, mr. Clark.
Cuff him!
Hey, mr. Clark!
What's this all about?
It's about someone finally standing up to this man
instead of taking his orders like a maid.
How dare you speak like that!
Mrs. Barrett-
shut up! You're finished!
The school board will hear this at 7:00,
and we'll vote your black ass out.
Yo, bitch, vote on this!
You go to class!
You're acting principal now.
I expect you to perform as i would.
What- what's going on?
What did you do?
I chained the doors.
You break the law, you pay the price.
We still got to go to class?
Yes. All of you, get back to class! Now!
Mr. Clark...
go on!
Who will look after the school?
Go on! Get back to class!
Get back in there, all of you! Go on!
Ms. Levias, they're your responsibility!
I guess we ought to be getting out of here, joe.
That school board meeting's about to begin.
Do whatever we can.
Have you thought about a new line of work?
Perhaps an exciting career in electronics?
It's just a little joke.
I'm going.
I've got no complaints, joe.
As far as i'm concerned,
what you accomplished down at that school
was a goddamn miracle.
Those kids have a light in their eyes now
that was never, never there before.
Thanks, boss.
You know, i'm always trying to teach my kids
to stay out of jail.
Look at me.
You go on.
Do what you got to do.
He has failed at his professional task.
We brought him in to save our school
from a takeover from the state.
That was the mandate from our mayor.
But the test scores on the practice exam
were 35% below passing.
Now, maybe if we dump him now
and get a new principal ourselves-
show the state that we're doing something-
we can pre-empt the takeover,
but only if we get him out
before those final test scores come back.
After that, it'll be too late.
This board won't have any power.
It'll be nothing but a rubber stamp.
Mrs. Arthur, those are the facts.
I appreciate your personal loyalty to mr. Clark,
but he has let our children down,
and our loyalty should be to them.
Our loyalty should be to the man we hired.
Order! Order!
Free mr. Clark!
Napier: Order, ladies and gentlemen!
Order, please!
We cannot continue this meeting
with this kind of chaos! Please!
Sit down! Come to order!
Dr. Napier, dr. Napier,
i think you should call the question now.
I cannot call the question.
All points of view seem to have been exhausted here.
No further purpose will be served by this.
Why don't you have someone on the board-
mr. Clark's students have assembled outside
in an exercise of their first amendment rights.
How many?
It looks like all of them.
Free mr. Clark!
We're in a tough spot here.
I have to ask your help, joe.
It's not for me. It's for those kids.
They're very emotional. They're all jacked up.
You have to send them home.
I don't have to do nothing but stay black and die.
For crying out loud.
Free mr. Clark!
People, before this gets out of hand,
listen, for your own safety, listen to me!
Free mr. Clark!
All right, joe. Let me put it this way.
First, i wanted you to succeed.
Now, don't think that i ever wanted anything else.
But you're a realist, joe, just like me.
Think what would happen
if there was a riot
and cops had to clear that square.
I'd have law and order on my side,
and the only people who'd be hurt
would be your kids.
Free mr. Clark!
Listen to me!
People, please!
You must all disperse and return to your homes!
Your presence here is helping no one.
Why don't you use your brains and listen?
Free mr. Clark!
Thank you.
Listen up.
Settle down. Give her a chance to talk.
She might actually have something to say.
Chill. Settle down.
Let's listen to the old loudmouthed wench.
Here you go, barrett.
Here you go.
You can call me what you want,
but the simple fact is
mr. Clark has broken the laws of this state
and exposed you all to grave danger.
His behavior is irresponsible.
Chaining those doors was a criminal act.
Why do you think they call him "crazy joe"?
Because you don't understand him.
Yeah. That's right.
He chained those doors
to keep out the drug dealers.
You're twisting the law.
The laws are made to protect the people.
That's what he's doing for us.
Yes!
The thing that you don't understand
is that mr. Clark believes in us.
He doesn't believe in you!
You don't take care
of your responsibility!
Despite what he himself may believe,
mr. Clark is not eastside high!
Mr. Clark is not only eastside high.
Mr. Clark is like a father,
the only father some of us know.
You don't know a thing
about mr. Clark!
People! People, just hear me!
The school board is meeting right now,
and we will give you what eastside high deserves-
a good principal.
We don't want a good principal!
We want mr. Clark!
You may think you know what you want,
but the question is what is best for you,
for eastside high.
This thing's getting out of hand.
Talk to them, please.
...to see that this gets resolved
so that you can continue your education.
Free mr. Clark!
People! People...
yay!
All right!
I wonder why i can't get this kind of turnout
for study hall.
All right, now.
Kids, this is all very nice,
but now i'm going to insist that you all go home
and let the laws of the land prevail.
No!
No! No! No!
Now, listen.
Listen.
If i've taught you anything,
i have tried to give you respect for the law.
Now, i want you all to go home
in an orderly fashion!
No! No! No!
Your voices have been heard!
No! No! No!
I appreciate your concern for me.
No! No! No!
But now is the time to go home.
No! No! No!
Kids, listen. You're not helping the matters any.
You're not helping our cause
if you stay here.
No! No! No!
I thought i left you in charge of these students.
You got to read this.
Is this taking care of your responsibility?
Read it!
No! No! No!
Boss.
No! No! No!
Dr. Napier, it is my duty-
it is my privilege and my honor to report to you
that the students of eastside high
have passed the minimum basic skills test!
Mr. Mayor.
Boy: Yeah! All right!
Go get him!
Mr. Mayor, on behalf of myself
and on behalf of the students of eastside high,
you can tell the state to go to hell.
I told you.
You should not have brought him here...
joe louis clark is not going anywhere.
Are you ready, my ghosts?
Yes!
Let me hear it.
1, 2, 3!
Fair eastside
by thy side we'll stand?
And always praise thy name
to ever lend our hearts and hands
congratulations.
Come on, son.
...thy fame
the honor of old eastside high
brings forth our loyalty
so cheer for dear old eastside high
lead on to victory
so cheer for dear old eastside high
lead on to victory
lean on me
when you're not strong
and i'll be your friend?
I'll help you carry on
for i know
that it won't be long
till i'm gonna need
somebody to lean on
you just call on me, brother
call me
if you feel you need a hand
'cause we all need
somebody
just to lean on
oh, i just might have a problem
a problem
you'll understand
we all need somebody to lean on
oh oh oh, yeah
listen, now
if there is a load
you have to bear
that you can't carry
just remember
i, i'm right up the road
i'll share your load
if you just call on me
you have to call me
call me
whenever you're in trouble
call me
i'll understand
call me
we all have pain
call me
we all have sorrow
call me
hey hey hey
just lean on me
lean
lean on me
lean on
j-just lean on me
lean
lean on me
just, just
lean on him? Yes, yes, why?
Things are better
and we're finally working together in unity
and you're soon to see
eastside high as a better place to be
the students, the pupils have morals and scruples
our learning ability has increased quadruple
and we're off to a brand-new start
i played my part to prove that you're smart?
And it's proven
but i ain't movin'
i won't be going, i'm here
when you need someone to lean on
so take heed to this as a blessing and remember
ain't no half steppin'
get it in full gear
i'm sure that you'll care in the long run
when you got full gear
that means authority
positivity
word
so let knowledge uproot you
go for yours, 'cause we're the future
the ones who rise to supremacy
and if you ever need a hand
just lean on me
j-j-j-just
lean
just lean on me
lean
j-j-j-just
just lean on me
lean
j-j-j-just
lean
just lean on me
j-j-j-just
lean
just lean on me
lean
lean on me
lean
lean on me
Captioning performed by the national captioning institute, inc.