[ Sam Cooke's "A Change is Gonna Come" plays ]
♪ I was born by the river ♪
[ Thunder crashes ]
♪ In a little tent ♪
Dre: The world is constantly changing.
♪ ...like a river, I've been running ever since ♪
But it seems like nowadays,
things are changing faster than they ever have been.
♪ It's been a long, a long time coming ♪
♪ But I know ♪
♪ A change's gonna come ♪
So, I guess it should make sense
that my life would be no different.
[ Thunder crashes ]
♪ It's been too hard living... ♪
But this last year has been just that...
different.
♪ But I'm afraid to die ♪
♪ 'Cause I don't know what's up there ♪
♪ Beyond the sky ♪
♪ It's been a long ♪
♪ A long time coming ♪
♪ But I know ♪
♪ A change's gonna come ♪ But that's what life is, right?
The things that happen in between the margins,
the things we don't see coming that make us who we are.
♪ And I go to the movies ♪
♪ And I go downtown ♪
But as much as I know that to be true,
once in a while,
there's things that stand out
even in the midst of all the unknown.
♪ And I'd say, "Brother, help me, please" ♪
♪ But he winds up ♪
And as bothered as I've been lately,
the thing that's bothering me the most
is how bothered everyone is around me
and how helpless I feel to stop it.
♪ Oh, there been times that I thought ♪
♪ I wouldn't last for long ♪ [ Devante crying ]
♪ But now I think I'm able to carry on ♪
♪ It's been a long ♪
♪ A long time coming ♪
Scary part is,
it doesn't seem to be getting any better...
♪ Change's gonna come ♪
...and even the smallest of us, in their own way,
are asking why.
♪♪
Daddy's here.
[ Devante crying ]
I know. Come on.
I know, baby.
I know it's a lot, buddy.
Yeah, I know it's a lot, alright?
But Daddy's here.
Daddy's here.
Oh, Mommy's here, too.
Hey, babe, can you take him from me?
Nope.
Come on, Bow!
I got to be at work in a little while!
Well, then I suggest you get him to sleep
or you're gonna be real tired for work, buddy.
Just read him a story, Dre.
And a real story.
Not just scores off of "SportsCenter."
I do this six nights a week, Dre.
You can handle one night.
I can never do nothin'. Come on, Devante.
I got it. I got it.
Alright. There we go.
Oh. How about this one? Huh?
"In the great green room,
there was a telephone and a red balloon.
And a picture of a cow that jumped over the moon."
Hmm.
Yeah, okay.
Yeah. I get it. I get it.
Yeah, that's some really white mess.
You are truly my son.
[ Chuckles ]
"Please, Baby, Please".
Illustrations by Kadir Nelson.
Written by Tonya Lewis Lee and Spike Lee.
Spike Lee: "Go back to bed, baby.
Please, baby, please.
Not on your head, baby, baby, baby, please.
Keep off the wall, baby, baby, please, baby."
[ Crying ] Look at that.
No, come on, son.
Bow.
It's probably just the storm, Dre.
Just talk to him.
It's the storm.
Just, like, talk to him.
You're fine.
Okay.
Hey.
What's going on, little buddy?
Hmm?
Mommy says it's just the storm,
but I don't think that's what it is.
[ Thunder crashes ]
I think the same thing's scaring you that's scaring me.
It's scaring everybody.
[ Cooing ]
Hey.
If Daddy tells you a secret,
do you promise to keep it to yourself
and not tell anybody?
♪♪
[ Coos ]
Daddy's scared, too.
But not about the thunder.
[ Thunder crashes ]
Okay. Okay, maybe a little bit about the thunder.
But it's... more about the world.
Everything's so crazy right now.
[ Fusses ]
Hey.
I'm sorry to dump all this on you, little man.
[ Sighs ]
You probably have no idea what I'm talking about.
♪♪
Hey.
But maybe I can explain it to you
in a way that you will understand.
Hmm?
You see, what feels like a long, long, long time ago,
but really was just a year ago,
America got a new boss.
Let's call him...
hmm...The Shady King.
Dre: And when The Shady King came,
even though he scared the [bleep] out of Daddy,
Daddy and Dave Chappelle
were willing to give him a chance.
But that wasn't easy when the Internet made memes
that compared him to comic book villains.
...and giving it back to you, the people.
And we give it back to you...
the people.
When this dude said
he didn't believe in political correctness,
giving him a chance was harder than you think.
I mean, The Shady King was even scarier
than Daddy could ever imagine.
[ Run‐D. M. C.'s "Hard Times" plays ]
This sucker wanted to build a wall
between us and our neighbors.
♪ Hard times ♪
♪ Spreading just like the flu ♪
♪ Watch out ♪
He seemed to have private meetings with our enemies.
♪ P‐P‐P‐Prices go up, don't let your pockets go down ♪
And when it came to his subjects,
some thought The Shady King
appeared to be out of touch with what they needed.
And some people felt he cared more about trophies
than his subjects.
[ Indistinct shouting ] [ The White Stripes' "Seven Nation Army" plays ]
After The Shady King took power,
the kingdom split in two warring lands.
♪ I'm gonna fight 'em all ♪
♪ A seven nation army couldn't hold me back ♪
Trump!
[ Shouts indistinctly ]
Two sides that once were one ‐‐
well, sort of ‐‐
turned against each other because they didn't understand
the other side's point of view.
Your San Francisco quarterback ‐‐
I'm sure nobody ever heard of...
♪♪
[ All chanting "Not my President!" ]
I'm not really sure how we got here,
but I think it started in 2008 with this guy,
who people say is just like your daddy.
[ Etta James' "At Last" plays ]
Let's call him...Prince Barry.
♪ At last ♪
In 2008,
the kingdom trusted Prince Barry to be its ruler,
which was a pretty big deal for this kingdom
because this is the same kingdom
that used to use people who look like Prince Barry as...
Hmm. How do I put this?
♪♪
Really cheap gardeners.
Anyway, the people of the kingdom
saw Prince Barry's reign
as a sign the kingdom was changing,
and it felt good.
So good, in fact,
that the people of the kingdom
started looking for other things to change.
Well, whether you liked it or not,
things were definitely different.
Definitely, definitely different.
I mean, do we really need remote control fighter jets,
or to give the Medal of Freedom
to a dancing daytime talk show host?
Probably not.
And it turns out that everyone was not a fan of different.
♪ Take minks off ♪ ♪ Oh ♪
♪ Take things off ♪ ♪ Oh ♪
There were a lot of people in the kingdom
who weren't happy about these changes
and wanted to change them back.
They thought they were being ignored,
and you know who wasn't ignoring them?
♪♪
That's right.
[ Cries ]
The Shady King.
Rainbow: Dre.
Hmm?
Are you trying to scare him?
He has his entire life to be afraid.
Stop.
You're scaring me.
[ Sighs ]
It's like...
places that used to be safe aren't even safe anymore.
Work...
schools...
concerts,
churches, sidewalks.
My God.
It's like the only place
you can find a little bit of peace is at home,
and you're ruining that for him, Dre.
Well, you know what?
Lucky for him, he has you to calm him down.
Uh, no.
Dre, go and feed the baby.
'Cause if you don't,
I'm gonna make it my life's mission
to make sure you don't get another restful night's sleep,
like you're doing to me.
I was gonna feed you anyway.
It's not that I listen to whatever she says ‐‐ Dre!
Okay. Okay.
[ Devante crying ] Oh, it's okay.
It's okay.
Mm‐hmm. It's gonna be alright.
♪♪
Hey.
Pops, what are you doing up?
Couldn't sleep. What you doing up, son? Ah.
Devante needs a bottle.
Yeah. [ Chuckles ]
Me, too.
[ Chuckles ]
Turns out Devante and I
weren't the only ones having trouble sleeping.
Pops: You know, if you put some Scotch in that,
it'll knock him right out.
Please, Pops.
I'm not an animal.
Come on, Dre.
Me and your momma used to do that to you
and you turned out perfect‐‐
Never mind.
[ Chuckles ]
[ Thunder crashes ]
So, storm keeping you up, too.
I look like a 5‐year‐old to you?
I'm not gonna let some ‐‐ [ Thunder crashes ]
Okay. Fine.
Maybe the storm is keeping me up a little bit.
I ain't exactly been sleeping a whole lot, anyway.
Ah, you and me both.
Seems like every time I turn on the news,
it's something else.
You are not wrong, son.
[ Devante fusses ]
Crazy has always existed. Mm.
But now?
Ooh, it's different now.
I remember growing up, how scared I used to be,
seeing pictures in the papers
of the Klan marching around with their hoods on.
[ Scoffs ]
But hell, at least those cowards
were too scared to show their faces.
Now, these bigots are marching around here
with their own camera crews...
Man: White power!
♪♪
...dressed up in trucker's caps
and khakis and button‐down shirts.
Mm.
Their fashion game stays in shambles.
Yeah, they never were too sharp.
When did they decide to become so bold?
Pops, I'm telling you,
with politics the way they are now,
t‐t‐they've found a sales pitch
that's resonating with people that ‐‐
that aren't your average card‐carrying Klan members.
Sales pitch?
White pride.
Oh, it's nothing at all for ‐‐ for a black man to say
that he's black and proud of it.
It's nothing for a Mexican to say
that they're Chicano and ‐‐ and proud of it.
Why is it that people are ashamed to say
that they're white?
Well, I'm not ashamed to say it.
I'm a proud white man.
What?
White pride is not like a real thing.
Tell him.
Pops, who are we to tell people
that they can't have pride in their heritage, huh?
Black people love their pride.
Hell, we got a whole song about it.
[ James Brown's "Say It Loud ‐‐ I'm Black and I'm Proud" plays ] Oh.
The hell are you talking about?
Hey, I'm just saying.
Oh, what's up, baby?
♪ I'm black and I'm proud ♪ Ow!
See, when J. B. made "Say It Loud",
it wasn't just some hip, new song.
It was a ‐‐ an affirmation of self‐respect.
See, self‐respect for a whole lot of people
who weren't getting a whole lot of love anywhere else.
It was an anthem of the civil rights era.
You have to understand, son.
People were antsy all over the country
during that time.
Didn't nobody know what to do.
Martin Luther King had just been assassinated,
the Vietnam War was raging,
it was hard enough just trying to get a job.
The people needed to hear something
that was going to give them hope,
and James Brown said it.
"Say it loud, I'm black and I'm proud."
It was lyrical emancipation.
♪ I'm black and I'm proud ♪ Ha!
♪ Say it loud ♪
♪ I'm black and I'm proud ♪
♪ Lordy, lordy, lordy ♪
♪ Say it loud ♪
You see, the word "pride" ‐‐
it implies that you have overcome adversity, see?
So, if you're black or brown
or ‐‐ or gay or a woman or a Clippers fan,
you have endured the struggle.
We were so close when Blake went down.
Say you happen to be free, white, and over 21?
Then you haven't experienced
the kind of oppression that we have.
Good for you.
You won the lottery.
We get it.
But you don't have to tell people you're proud of it.
Mm. It's like saying
you're proud of being rich and beautiful.
I mean, what's next?
That's the thing, Pops.
After eight years of having a black President,
a lot of these people do feel they've overcome adversity.
Well, if black folks making that one little step forward
is enough to lead our entire country
this far back ‐‐
[Chuckles] ‐‐
we in a hell of a lot of trouble.
♪♪
[ Thunder crashes ]
♪♪
[ Thunder crashes ]
Okay, okay, okay, okay.
It's okay. It's okay.
Here, take that.
Just take that. Mm‐hmm.
♪♪
[ Sighs ]
Dad.
[ Devante crying ]
Dammit, Junior.
I'm sorry.
It's just... I can't sleep.
Oh.
Of course you'd be afraid of the storm.
Storm? [ Scoffs ] What storm?
[ Thunder crashes ] Oh, God, take my father!
[ Whistles ]
Okay. Fine.
Maybe I'm slightly bothered by the weather,
but that's not why I can't sleep.
I've got this thing
I'm dealing with at school tomorrow
with student council.
The school wants to suspend any athletes
who take a knee during the National Anthem.
That is ridiculous.
And you're filled with fury and rage.
That's why you can't fall asleep, right?
Well, actually ‐‐
I don't even know why I get my hopes up.
Look, son, black athletes using their platform
to fight social injustice
did not start with Colin Kaepernick.
♪ I'm just a soul whose intentions are good ♪
♪ Oh, Lord, please don't let me be misunderstood ♪
Muhammad Ali went to jail, lost his title,
and almost went broke protesting the Vietnam War.
Arthur Ashe,
arrested on two different occasions
fighting for human rights.
Tommie Smith, John Carlos got blackballed
for taking the biggest moment in their lives
and making it into something bigger than them.
These men took careers
that they've trained and worked their whole lives for
and put them on the line for us.
Does that mean anything to you?
Of course it does.
But...honestly, Dad,
I'm just not sure I agree with the kneeling thing.
I don't even know what good it does,
especially when people say that it offends the troops.
I mean, they put their lives on the line
every day for our country.
Oh, my God, son.
This is not about the troops.
It's about police brutality.
Dad, I know all of the different arguments.
Trust me.
It's all I've been thinking about.
So, you're gonna side with the administration?
Actually, I'm not.
♪♪
Even though I'm not sure I agree with what they're doing,
I do know that they have a right
to peacefully protest for their ideas.
♪♪
If I represent students,
isn't it my job to defend their rights?
♪♪
[ Thunder crashes ]
So, can I ‐‐ can I sleep in here?
Yeah.
Yeah, go ahead, man. Take my side of the bed.
♪♪
[ Sighs ]
Hey.
♪♪
Hey, buddy.
I know it's scary out there,
but you have a lot of family,
and I just want to let you know
I'm the only one that loves you.
So, man, you're gonna have to stop messing around
and go to sleep.
Please.
There you go.
Dad! Dad!
[ Devante crying ] Oh [bleep]
I mean, sorry. [Bleep] Stop.
Shoot. [Bleep]
[Bleep] What?
I just got him down.
Are you trying to make that our problem?
Yeah.
Do you want us to resent our little brother?
Fine. Whatever.
What's up?
Can't sleep. Dre: Oh.
Let me guess ‐‐ you're afraid of race riots,
of the opioid crisis or ‐‐
oh, here's a good one ‐‐ North Korea.
North Korea?
Why would we be afraid of them?
Oh...you shouldn't be.
Alright, so...what's up?
We're afraid of the storm.
And I'm pretty sure once I get to Google,
I'm also going to be afraid of North Korea.
[ Thunder crashes ]
It feels like God is just being extra.
Okay.
Hey, guys, relax.
Storms are loud, and they pass.
There's nothing to be afraid of.
[ Fusses ] It's okay.
That's not the problem.
Or actually true.
Have you seen what storms have been doing recently?
There was Hurricane Harvey in Texas,
and Irma, and Maria, and Jose.
There was a hurricane every week in September.
That's not normal.
I saw on YouTube this guy, Al Gore,
predicted more storms were going to happen
10 years ago.
Why didn't you guys elect him?
Well, to be fair, he did win the popular vote.
Instead, you elected a guy
who doesn't seem to care about climate change.
The United States will withdraw...
[ Applause ]
...from the Paris Climate Accord.
Well, to be fair, he didn't win the popular vote.
Hey, guys, I don't know what to say, alright?
Look, Father,
we know you're not gonna be able to take care of this.
Huh?
You sweat when you chew gum.
You wear a different belt when you drive.
I've seen you quit halfway up the stairs.
I got bunions.
You just getting by day‐to‐day means a lot to us.
Really does.
And the weather stuff ‐‐ we're gonna figure it out.
Yeah. It's our future.
We want to fight for it. Yeah.
You just enjoy the time you have left.
Which, at your current rate,
is, like, five years, tops.
[ Thunder crashes ]
Uh, but can we still sleep in here?
I mean, we're still kids.
Go for it.
[ Rihanna's "Umbrella" plays ]
♪ Uh‐huh, uh‐huh ♪
♪ Yeah, Rihanna ♪
Thinking about my son
standing up for a cause he didn't totally agree with
and listening to the twins' worldly knowledge
and painfully brutal honesty
did something to me.
At that moment,
everything suddenly came into focus.
One ‐‐ I knew that everything was gonna be okay,
and two ‐‐ I needed to get a physical.
Hey.
I know you're scared.
And there's one thing that I realized.
No matter how bad it gets, we get through it.
Just like this storm,
it'll rattle and shake and rain.
But tomorrow or maybe the next day,
it'll stop, and the sun will come out.
But don't worry.
Until that happens... Hey.
...I'll be here holding you.
Let's see if we can get some sleep, Devante.
♪ With you, I'll always share ♪
♪ Because ♪
♪ When the sun shine, we shine together ♪
♪ Told you I'll be here forever ♪
That's the thing with our country.
We've gone through a lot,
but even when it's darkest,
we help each other out.
Man: I'm not even thinking about myself right now,
to tell you the truth.
It's just, people need help, I'm here to help.
I want to do my part.
♪ You can under my umbrella ♪
Nobody knows exactly what the future will bring,
but what we do know
is there are more of us who help
than those who hurt,
and no matter how bad the storm gets,
we'll be here for each other.
♪ ...ella, ella, eh, eh, eh ♪
♪ Under my umbrella, ella, ella ♪
♪ Eh, eh, eh, eh, eh‐eh ♪
♪ It's rainin', rainin' ♪
♪ When the sun shine, we shine together ♪
♪ Told you I'll be here forever ♪
♪ Said I'll always be your friend ♪
♪ Took an oath, I'mma stick it out to the end ♪
♪ Now that it's raining more than ever ♪
♪ Know that we'll still have each other ♪
♪ You can stand under my umbrella ♪
♪ Ella, ella, eh, eh, eh ♪
♪ Under my umbrella, ella ♪