Dre: Considering everything this country has done
to keep Black people down, our firsts are monumental.
Who was the first White Major League baseball player?
No one knows.
[ Bat hits ball, crowd cheers ] You just know Jackie Robinson.
First person to win an Oscar? No one cares.
But we all know the first Black woman
to win a Best Actress statue was Halle Berry.
[ Cheers and applause ] Ask that handsy fool from "The Pianist."
And who can forget the first Black James Bond?
Idris Elba. [ Gunshot ]
That one hasn't happened yet,
but I'm putting it out there so it does.
These firsts are a bittersweet testament
to obstacles overcome.
That's why to this day,
every Black first is cause for celebration.
So please, give a round of applause
for the latest addition to The Museum of Black Firsts,
and also the finest ‐‐ sorry, Halle Berry ‐‐
Pacific General Hospital's first Black female partner,
Dr. Rainbow Johnson!
[ Applause ]
Thank you.
Oh. Thank you, everybody.
I am partner.
This is going on my stories.
Dr. Johnson, you are goals.
Oh, thank you, Dr. Westbrook. [ Laughs ]
I am goals. Mm‐hmm.
Being goals has always been my goal. [ Laughs ]
Rainbow: Hey, hey.
[ Singsong voice ] I'm a partner.
Oh, this is perfect.
I'm doing a school photography project
on Black excellence. Oh!
Well, I‐I'll give you this photo.
No, no, Mom, I need to take it.
Come on, think.
Mm.
Okay. Oh, look at that.
My wife is Black excellence.
And to think, the streets thought
that Shonda Rhimes invented Black lady doctors.
Well, thank you,
Mr. First Black VP of Stevens & Lido.
That is me.
But it's not just about being called first.
It is important to me to be in a position of power
so that I can blaze a trail
for all of the other Black women.
I wish I was a Black woman
so that you could blaze a trail for me, Mom.
Oh, I wish that, too, honey.
But you know what?
I am starting with Dr. Westbrook in Neurology.
She has sort of become my ‐‐ my little protégé.
Wow, Mom.
Just when I think I have reached the peak of Pride Rock,
you do something to lift me up even higher.
Like a beautiful Rafiki.
So, uh [clears throat]
Dr. Westbrook has asked to see me tomorrow.
And...I think it's because she knows
that I'm partner now
and I have the juice to make things happen.
You got the juice now, Bow.
Yeah, Mom is the juiciest. [ Chuckles ]
Maybe you shouldn't say things like that about your mama.
♪♪
Charlie: Should I send Bow's gift to the house
or to her new sexy partner office?
I wanna make sure she gets
my Edible Entanglement Arrangement.
How did you know that Bow made partner?
She blocked you on Instagram.
Oh, Dre, you basic, basic bitch.
It's all about the Finstagram.
You know who's not being blocked?
Hm? My Milli Vanilli Stans account.
Okay, look here, Charlie.
While you're out here, committing the IG fraud,
Bow and I are out making moves.
You can call us Melo and Dame D. O. L. L. A.,
because we are blazing trails.
Bow is definitely blazing trails. Mm‐hmm.
You're kind of out there with a Zippo lighter
warming up your hands. I'm sorry.
Are you saying that I'm not here boosting brothers?
Name one thing you done to bring up a Black man around here.
I hired you, Charlie.
Correction ‐‐ I won this job fair and square
in a barefoot race with you.
What about my assistant, Curtis?
He quit a year ago.
And his last words to you was,
"Don't forget that letter of recommendation."
What about the brother in the mailroom?
Maurice? Yes.
Stevens hired him after he hit him with his car.
So even Stevens is bringing up more brothers than you.
Okay, Charlie, why are you coming for me, man?
It's not like you're doing any better.
[ Chuckling ] Au contraire.
I've been a member of Black Ad Men, or BlAd Men,
for six years.
We organize professional networking events and mixers,
not to mention community outreach.
You have to be kidding.
Shaping a Black man's future is nothing to joke about, Dre.
You just don't become
Nubian Gold Texturizing Crème 2019 Community King
without taking it serious.
♪♪
Okay, you know what, Charlie?
You may have your little group, but I have real power.
Watch this. Stevens!
Yeah?
You know, I think it's time that we hire
another Black ad exec‐‐
Absolutely! You know what?
A‐As soon and as publicly as possible.
Because between you guys,
I am in a little bit of hot water
with the P. O. C. s because I...
well, just to be honest, I‐I‐I ran over another one.
Ooh. That is yummy.
Just like that, Dre is back in the game.
Jack: Oh, yeah. That's it.
That's it. Pretend I'm not even here.
Girl, I can't get enough of your picture
up on the hospital partners wall. ♪ Hey, hey ♪
You better be feeling yourself right now. [ Laughs ]
Knowing that my work is gonna make a difference for you
is what makes it worth it.
Mm. You're gonna be the second
Black female partner in this hospital.
I mean, look, it's not first, alright,
but second ‐‐ Huh? ‐‐ that's pretty good.
[ Laughs ]
We are gonna take this place over together.
Together?
Yeah, I got a seat at the table
and now I've been saving one for you.
Bow. Bow.
Yeah. Listen.
This is so awesome for you.
I know! Isn't it so exciting?
I don't want to take away from your moment.
But I'm not interested in becoming a partner.
Wait. What? I don't understand.
You said that I was goals.
You are goals. Okay.
Just not my goals.
I should have been more specific.
Uh, look, I've been watching you on this journey
and it's gonna be a no for me.
Congratulations again, girl.
[ Chuckles ]
But I‐I was ‐‐ I was doing this for us!
I don't like anybody else here!
[ Camera shutter clicking ]
Okay. Okay.
Say, "Black excellence"!
Can you believe that Crystal
has been thinking about this for a long time?
How am I supposed to make a difference
in the lives of Black women
when the woman that I am mentoring
doesn't want to follow in my footsteps?
I'll follow in your footsteps, Mom. Just hand me your shoes.
I‐I know you're trying, sweetie. But just let her talk.
Do you know that she wants to move hospitals ‐‐ Mm‐hmm ‐‐
so that she can be near her aging mom?
How do you think that makes me feel?
Huh?
I have been tolerating these White doctors
calling me "Dr. Girl" for all those years ‐‐ What? Okay.
So she can just kick back
and watch "Judge Judy" with her mom?
Oh, really?
What was all of this for?
Okay, babe, maybe you just need
to re‐up your game plan. Oh, come on.
Yeah.
Like today, I heard this inspiring story
about a guy who had been sleeping on
helping brothers at work.
But you can't fault him, you know,
his life is probably full, got a big family, you know,
and him starting the second season of "The Sopranos."
You know, but he recommitted himself
to helping those brothers.
And because of that,
Stevens & Lido is now hiring a new Black ad exec.
Mm‐hmm.
Dad, was that story about you?
No, I'm pretty sure it was about Curtis.
But he did that.
And you can, too, babe.
Maybe you're right.
Mm‐hmm. Yeah.
Because you know what?
No one knows how hard it is
for a Black woman in medicine like I do,
and because of that, I am not gonna give up.
That's my wife.
I am proud of you, baby. Aww!
Proud of our baby, too.
Aww!
Hey, are you cool with this?
Huh?
Uh, I‐I'm sorry. I'm just... Yeah, sorry.
It's okay. ...looking at Psych grad schools.
And there are just so many things to consider.
Hmm. I don't know how you did it, Dr. Johnson.
Well, listen, sweetheart,
they are gonna pressure you to go with the big‐name school,
but that's not what it's all about.
You want to find a place
that has a culture that you can thrive in.
Let me see this.
Ooh, well, you might not want
to pick a school in the Caribbean. Oh.
You know, if you can get a tan in the classroom,
you ain't gonna get a job.
Oh, wow. Mm‐hmm.
Well, that's super helpful.
Yeah. You see that, babe?
One mentee walks out the door,
and another one climbs through the window.
Mm‐hmm.
Look at you two bonding.
Huh. Might have to up
that Valentine's reservation to three, right?
Rainbow: Aww, sweetheart.
Son, when are you gonna stop flirting with my wife?
I helped Bow get back on track, but now it was my turn.
They say you can judge an adman by the width of his Rolodex,
and mine was so thick that Drake was sliding into its DMs.
Hey, Virgil!
I have a job opportunity for you...
Oh, you're out of the advertising business now?
Hey. Is this Urbana Creative Agency?
Folded?
It's Dre.
Okay, well, if I need a manny, I know who to call.
But I won't.
Yeah. May I speak with Damian Horford, please?
He moved on?
Okay, well, do you have his number?
Oh...he's dead.
Hm.
[ Gasps ] What about you, are you Black?
[ Dial tone ]
[ Sighs ]
Man, why the hell
are we always out of Hot Cheddar Puffs?
I have no knowledge of that.
You know, I'm ‐‐ I'm ‐‐ I'm sorry, Charlie, man.
I'm ‐‐ I'm just having a Black identity crisis.
Oh, I hate when them come.
Man, I've called 15 Black ad execs
and all of them are either now retired,
out of the business, or dead.
Hmm.
It's kind of hard to come back from the dead.
But not impossible.
If you don't mind driving to Arleta,
I happen to know a reputable necromancer.
Oh, wait a minute. Does he still work there?
I think he's there.
I‐I think he still works there.
I can't believe that I've fallen this hard, man.
I used to have my fingers on the pulse,
and now I can't even get one person
to line up for an interview.
You know who has all 10 fingers on the Black pulse?
Charlie.
Let Brother Telphy help you out, Dre.
My man Darren T. Gibson ‐‐
he's a great guy, more than qualified.
He can be here this afternoon.
Hey, I‐I'd love to meet your guy, Charlie.
This is what I do, baby.
♪♪
I‐It's all good. It's seeped in my pores.
♪♪
Oh, I'm so glad he didn't touch 'em.
♪♪
I'm so grateful that you have time to talk.
Oh, gosh. Planning for my future
is really, really daunting.
I get it.
God, I wish I had someone I could have gotten advice from
when I was in your shoes.
Mm‐hmm. Oh, speaking of shoes.
You should get yourself some golf spikes.
Okay.
I didn't know I was talking to Miss Tigress Woods here.
Junior never mentioned you like golf.
Oh, I don't like golf at all.
Oh. Not at all.
Not the bugs, not the skorts,
not the people asking me which NBA player's wife I am.
But I had to learn when I was in med school
so that I could get into my professors'
"Good Old Boys Club."
Mm. That was the only way to have access
to the big surgeries. Mm.
So you got to make their interests your interests.
Okay. Makes sense. Mm‐hmm.
Also, you need to make sure that your penmanship
and your grammar are on point.
They really care about that? Yes.
When I was in residency...
Mm‐hmm.
...I misspelled Neuroleptanalgesia on a chart
and a doctor said to me,
"[ Chuckles ] We don't speak 'Ebonics' here."
[ Laughs ]
Needless to say, I never misspelled that word again.
Like, never. [ Laughs ]
Oh, here's something really sweet and lovely
that you can do.
Okay.
On your first day of grad school,
write yourself a letter
about why you decided to get into medicine.
It'll be like your "Keep Going!" letter.
W‐Well, there were times
where you felt like you couldn't keep going?
Oh, my God, yes. Wow.
[ Chuckling ] All the time.
I just kept my head down and did my work,
and I read that letter every day.
And sometimes there were so many tears on it
that I'd have to rewrite it,
but at that point, I knew it by heart.
God. I still remember it.
Hm.
"Dear Rainbow, you are a strong queen
who has dedicated your life to helping others.
And when no one else loves you, I love you.
So in the words of Harriet Tubman,
'If you hear the dogs, keep going.
If you see the torches in the woods, keep going...'"
Isn't that lovely?
Uh...whew!
It's something. Right?
Uh‐huh.
So I was interviewing Charlie's BlAd boy Darren T. Gibson,
and I figured I'd give Stevens
a courtesy heads‐up about the meeting.
Actually, I've met Darren before.
We were on a Men in Advertising panel
a couple years back.
Really? Yeah.
I found him, um, kind of difficult.
But, okay, it's, uh, your pick, your judgment.
I trust you.
Difficult?
Huh.
Darren.
Right now I'm a VP at Essence Nation,
leading some really exciting campaigns.
Yeah, that's cool.
But I also see here
that you only spent five months at Chiat/Day.
What happened here?
Essence Nation was closer to home.
My wife ‐‐ she just had a baby,
so it was a blessing being able to cut that commute down.
Yeah, but still...
I'm surprised that you would leave one of the big dogs
to go to a small firm.
You know how it is for us at those big firms,
it's not always better.
But at Essence Nation, I'm working on campaigns
on a level I had never done before.
Well, what are we talking, gas station ads?
Actually, it was the Kaiser Permanente campaign
with Regina King.
You did that? [ Chuckles ]
Hey, how did I not know that?
Man, you are the reason that I'm drinking more water.
Ah, you know, there's ‐‐ there's a lot of campaigns.
Hard to keep track of them all.
No, I should know
what my fellow Black ad execs are doing.
You know, what is happening to me?
You know, one ding on you from the White man
and I was convinced that I shouldn't give you this job.
Hell, you were here 15 minutes early
and I judged you for having that kind of free time.
Excuse me?
I was scrutinizing you more
because I assumed you only did commercials
where they rap about McNuggets.
It's no wonder I don't know any Black execs,
hell, I'm too busy second‐guessing
whether they deserve to be here.
You know what?
That's gonna stop today.
Brother, this job is yours.
I would love to have you on the team.
Actually...
I think I'm gonna stay at the rapping nugget place,
but thank you.
Oh, hey, hey, Darren.
Wait. Wait a minute, bro.
Do you know what four brothers could do at this place?
[ Camera shutter clicks ]
Ooh.
I probably shouldn't have been in here for that. Ah.
[ Camera shutter clicks ] While I was letting a Black protégé
slip through my fingers at work like sand,
Bow was trying to pressure one into a doctor diamond.
I found the letter that I was telling you about.
That's it.
And, also, I remembered another med school story
about perseverance.
It was my birthday
and the chief resident had just told me
that my gorgeous braids were unprofessional and they ‐‐
Okay, Dr. Johnson, can we have a heart to heart?
Ooh. Ah, yes, please.
You're telling me all these stories
like they're funny, fond memories...
Uh‐huh. ...but they're horrible.
Oh, no.
No. It's just from a different time.
You don't get it.
That is textbook minimizing, Dr. Johnson.
You needed that defense mechanism
to get you through years of abuse.
Abu‐‐
[ Laughing ] This was not abuse.
It was character‐building.
It's why I'm the strong woman that I am today.
You shouldn't have to beat a person down
to make them strong. W‐‐
O‐On the other hand, tough love works.
[ Chuckling ] You know, my dad has been rough on me
and I'm great.
Right?
You've had to put up with a lot of crap
to get to where you are, Dr. Johnson...
Yeah.
...but you shouldn't have had to.
Come on.
If I hadn't, then it would have been worse
for all of the Black women that came behind me.
Don't you ever wonder who you could have been
if you didn't have to also fight this other fight?
No, they were just trying to ‐‐ Dr. Johnson.
Okay, if the ‐‐ Rainbow.
Okay. [ Chuckles ]
Oh.
[ Sighs ]
Oh, my God.
[ Oven timer dinging ]
Oooh, the pizza rolls are ready!
Why did you do that?
You could have been her favorite daughter.
No, no, no, it's ‐‐ it's okay.
I'll just ‐‐ I'm gonna ‐‐ I'm gonna read my letter.
Okay. [ Chuckles ]
Yes.
[ Breathing shakily ]
[ Whimpers ]
Tears are coming. I'm gonna ‐‐ Okay.
[ Whimpers ] You go ‐‐ Yeah, take ‐‐
No, take ‐‐ Do you.
Take your time. [ Whimpers ]
[ Sighs ] Rainbow: Hi.
Hey, babe.
Did you know
that when Jackie Robinson retired from baseball,
that it was only 6% Black?
And that it's only 7% Black today.
I thought we blocked Wikipedia
when Diane kept changing Michael B. Jordan's page
to "Married to Diane Johnson." Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.
"Back off heifers." I remember.
Okay. [ Clears throat ]
Jackie Robinson died at 54.
I know. And for what?
So he could get a couple more Black players in the league?
Can you imagine what he could have done, Dre,
if he hadn't been so focused on breaking barriers?
Can you imagine what I could've done?
I could be Dr. Rainbow Johnson Poet Laureate
or Professor of Chicano Studies.
You know how I love that.
Well, I had the chance
to give a qualified Black man a job today,
and I almost didn't because Stevens made a face.
Hmm?
Babe, there's so few of us at the table
that I felt that I needed a White co‐sign.
That's how the system is set up.
You know, sometimes, being the first ‐‐
it feels like the weight of the world is on our shoulders.
Oh. It does.
We're conditioned to work 10 times harder to succeed.
But is it all worth it for 6%?
You know... maybe Jackie Robinson
only made baseball a little Blacker...
Mm. ...but his sacrifices were felt
throughout sports and the world.
Yeah.
You know, maybe a person's impact
can't always be broken down into numbers.
Mm. That's right.
Mm‐hmm.
Got to keep pushing.
Yep.
But I'm tired, though.
Babe, well, put the torch down.
Alright?
This burden has to be shared,
by your Black colleagues and your White colleagues.
You'll be able to pick it up again,
but let them have a turn.
Maybe you're right.
Mm‐hmm.
I'm not even sure
I know how to put down the torch at this point.
Hey.
There's a first time for everything.
Thanks, honey.
You're welcome.
Bow and I may have been down for a minute,
but we were never out. [ Sighs ]
Bow took the time to think about it
and realized it shouldn't all be on her.
Hey, Dr. Windsor.
Diversity is a team sport.
I'd love to talk to you about the diversity initiative.
Oh, yeah.
I saw that you were heading that up
with, uh, Dr. Gutierrez and Dr. Patel
and Dr. Running Water, right?
Yeah, I was heading that up.
But [clicks tongue] can't take that on right now.
Oh.
Well, I'm sure diversity will be there for you
when you're ready. Oh, no, no, no, no, no.
I'm saying that other people can lead the charge.
You care about diversity, right?
Of course. Yeah?
Why? What have you heard?
Well, congratulations.
Hm?
You are the man for the job, Dr. Windsor.
Wait, what are you doing? I'm handing the torch over to you.
You can pass out those fliers.
And if I see them in the garbage can,
then I'm gonna set your car on fire.
[ Chuckles ] [ Giggles ]
Oh, my goodness. [ Imitates whooshing flames ]
Really? Yeah.
For me, I made sure my relationships
with other Black admen were good,
starting with Darren.
Look, man, I appreciate the opportunity,
I just ‐‐ I can't accept the job.
Bro, I'm not here to beg,
I'm here to bond.
Now, can a brother be a BlAd Man?
What is a BlAd Man?
Your networking group, man.
Charlie told me about it.
[ Scoffs ]
Man, that guy keeps trying to change the name,
but won't pay any dues.
Ah. Yeah, that is very Charlie.
You know, he owes me $3,000 for lunch.
[ Both laugh ]
Oh, man, I wish Jack was here,
because this is Black excellence.
♪♪
[ Camera shutter clicks ]
This... is Black excellence.
You bet your Black ass it is.
♪♪
Junior: What do I do?
She made my mom snap. I have to do something.
Olivia.
Hm? [ Television shuts off ]
It, uh, pains me to do this.
You know I wanted nothing more
than for you and my mom to be close.
But we flew too close to the sun.
Boy, what are you talking about?
I think we should break‐‐
Just the lady that I want to see.
Dr. Johnson,
I hope I wasn't being too harsh on you yesterday.
I can be sort of a tough‐love kind of girl.
Hmm. You hear that, Mom?
Tough love. Mm‐hmm.
Love. [ Chuckles ] Mm‐hmm.
Well, having a 20‐year‐old psychoanalyze me
was a tough pill to swallow...
but I'm grateful.
I'm grateful for your honesty,
and I actually needed to hear what you had to say.
Oh, thank God. Whoo!
[ Laughs ] Whoo!
You guys still like each other?
Yeah. What were you gonna say?
♪♪
Doesn't matter, right? [ Chuckles ]
Just let me enjoy this moment.