[narrator] previously on queen sugar.
I was in a tent in the sudan, desperate to know how you were,
and you were here with your ex-cop boyfriend
that's the love of your life.
Talked to blue this morning.
Maybe we should tell him.
I mean, everything comes out eventually, darla.
Not now.
If we can find a pattern of corruption,
we can build a case.
You're hiding so many secrets.
Look, everybody agrees this is skids.
Whether or not betty flynn has anything to do with this.
She would stop it if she could.
It's best I do this on my own.
-Hi, betty. -Vi!
Oh, my god. Is that you?
What are you doing here?
I needed to see you.
I needed to look into your eyes
and know that you were still the woman I knew.
Betty, I need your help.
I need you to come home.
Vi, I can't go back there.
You know I would not ask if it wasn't important.
♪ dreams never die take flight as the world turns ♪
♪ keep the colors in the lines take flight♪
♪ dreams never die ♪
♪ keep the colors in the lines♪
♪ keep the colors in the lines take flight♪
yeah, that whole town turned on me.
Even my own family.
My father, he couldn't even look at me.
Poor mama, she just cried.
They all turned their back on me.
Not me and ernest.
And you're right.
I would have never made it out to california if it wasn't for you two.
Now, betty, I know
that what I'm asking for you to do is hard.
But I need you.
Vi's been trying to reach you for months.
We wouldn't have even came all the way this way if it wasn't serious.
Y'all don't understand.
I have not stepped foot back at that place
since I was eighteen years old.
Sam's father threatened to kill us both if I had the baby.
Y'all were determined.
Wasn't nobody gonna tell you who you could love.
Vi and ernest drove us to another parish about three hours away
where we got married.
[sighs] we thought that...
...That we were gonna be together forever.
My grandmother left me a little piece of land,
so we were gonna build a house,
and, you know, start our life together.
[violet] we were packing up betty's suitcase
the day she and sam were supposed to leave to go west.
Sam shows up last minute with a black eye
and a wad of cash.
His daddy beat the mess out of him.
Threatened to cut him off if he went with betty.
Oh, and I begged him.
I begged him to come with me.
But he was more afraid of being broke than being with me.
-[hollywood] mmm. -[violet] well, one thing you can say about
that sam landry
is that money didn't change him.
Like that from the day he was born.
Lord, yes he was.
But, you know, that was a million years ago.
I mean, it's all in the past.
It ain't in the past if you and sam are still legally married.
-Oh, vi, that old country courthouse wedding-- -still legal.
[hollywood] now right now, your claim to that land,
is the only thing standing between us and the landrys.
He wants to bulldoze over ernest's farm.
We need your help.
So, where you staying in the big apple?
Uh, my grandma has an apartment on the upper west side,
so I'm gonna kick it there.
I hear she's setting you up with some big fund person or something.
Yeah, there's this fund manager
that's interested in financing the nft collective.
So...
[ralph angel] that's exciting.
You don't sound excited though.
Last time I went down this investor route, it blew up in my face.
It's hard to know who to trust.
I get it.
All right.
Ready.
I actually wanna chop with you before you jet off to new york.
So, what's up?
Can't get him out my head.
Chase?
Can't get him out of my head either.
I mean, one minute, I'm back at my house,
dealing with the store, and the next, here he come,
just messing up my peace.
You feel like you were in a peaceful place before that night?
I mean, yeah, mostly.
I don't know.
Got a job that provides,
apartment I could afford,
co-op been booming.
I got darla, true, and blue.
You still have all of those things.
Yeah, but I'm in my head now, micah.
About it all.
I mean, how I'm just supposed to let this man
walk in my house and do nothing?
I'm supposed to just let it go?
I mean, you pulled me off him.
Hollywood pulled me off him, but...
...I still wanna make him hurt.
I'm supposed to just let him talk shit about blue,
like he's nothing, talking crazy, like...
[shudders]
I could have killed him, I swear to god.
No, where would that have left you?
Or the people who love you?
Yeah, but it don't change how I feel, micah.
Everybody expect me to let it go...
...And I'm trying.
But I can't.
That's just how I feel.
Have you talked to darla about it, or...
I mean, she put it all behind her.
I bring it up, I'm bringing up her pain.
Your pain matters too.
She's your partner.
She loves you.
You should just chop it up with her.
Is dominic joining us?
No, he has to help his student with her thesis presentations.
And did he apologize for reading your piece?
He did.
We talked it out.
But it still hurts.
He apologized profusely and I promised to open up more.
I mean, we've been together for almost a year
and all that time, I thought I was really letting him in.
And I was in my own way, but I'm still holding back. I don't know.
Okay, so six months ago,
I thought that it was over between me and vince and then...
...You couldn't have told me that I was going to
-propose to the man after daddy's wedding. -What?
Girl, and got on one knee!
Billie, are you serious?
Wow!
And he's... It's incredible.
I mean, after all these years of never wanting to me married and now...
Nova, now I do.
Life is full of surprises, isn't it?
Bless you both.
Thank you, girl. We gonna need all the blessings we can get.
Well, actually there's a reunification blessing
that I can do for you if you like.
Aunt martha did it for my folks when they got back together.
Yeah, I'd really like that, please.
Well, I'm past due to see her,
so I'll drive out there tomorrow,
have her remind me of everything I need for you and vince.
Wow.
I'm really happy for you.
Me too.
"I'm here to speak before the usda,
about the inequities in the treatment of black farmers."
[sighs]
"I'm a fifth generation farmer from st. Josephine."
"look, I'm here to speak before the usda
about the inequities of..." [sighs]
[darla] you're gonna do great today.
Somebody more experienced should talk.
You are the very best person to talk.
I know you're nervous.
But you can do this.
Thank you for being a good partner.
That is a very lovely thing to hear out of nowhere.
Thank you for being the same.
I'll be sensitive sometimes.
Sometimes.
This chase thing...
...Still got me messed up.
I feel bad bringing it up.
But I feel like I need to let you know.
I'm still not past it.
We have the paperwork.
We are free and clear of him.
Please forget him.
So, you don't wanna make him pay?
For what he did to you?
I don't need that.
And you ain't worried about him being in the same city as blue?
He wants nothing to do with blue, you heard him.
And that ain't make you feel some type of way?
Him talking about my little man like he's nothing?
It infuriated me, of course.
But not as much as him saying he wants blue
and the nightmare that that would be.
We cannot have it both ways.
Got an answer for everything, huh?
Excuse me?
Forget about it.
Don't do that.
-It's all good. -Ralph angel, don't do that.
-If you're gonna start something, finish it. -I'm finished.
All right, you good? You got your stats?
Got it.
Tell our story.
Yes, sir.
You know, all I did to try and help you people
and you gonna pull a stunt like this.
No stunt, it's just facts.
Well, good luck in here, you're gonna need it.
Hey!
[indistinct chatter]
see, they got a whole little club.
They take care of each other and make it worse for us.
[scoffs]
can I have a word?
I just wanna share one thing with you.
Forget them white people.
You're standing for us, for yourself.
For your father.
Ernest would be so proud of you right now.
He is proud.
He always knew that you would grow into being the man
that you were meant to be and here you are.
And just speak from your heart.
Speak for your father.
Come on.
So, what is the last time you saw my daughter?
Parker was at the council meeting
convincing them to overturn the landmark on ernest's farm.
Dig up our ancestors' remains, her ancestors' remains.
Oh, lord. I don't know who she is anymore.
This, this "parker" character that she created.
The name on that child's birth certificate is imani arsenault
but you know what? Sam got into her mind.
And he told her that she couldn't get into wharton with a name like "imani."
and she believed him.
Rejected me and believed him.
Your spirit is still in there.
Everything that you instilled in her, I see it.
I gotta be honest with you,
as much as I love you, and as much as I owe you,
if this were just about the land,
baby, I wouldn't come.
Then that's exactly what I'm gonna do.
-And I am gonna be right there with 'ya. -Mmm.
You don't have to do it alone.
[sam] look everybody greases the skids, that's just the way it's been done here for years.
-It's just business. -[recorder clicked off]
uh... [clearing throat]
we'll now have a statement from a local farmer on the matter on the tape.
Your statement will go into the official records of our regional branch,
all who are present,
as well as the state senator representing louisiana's agriculture committee.
G'afternoon. [clearing throat]
my name's ralph angel bordelon, outta st. Josephine parish.
That tape you heard is not an isolated incident.
-Happens all the time. -[man in room] right!
The boudreaux and landry family are now 18 months past doin' their loans.
18, and they still occupy that property.
Now, my neighbor, miss parthena gilmore, a black woman,
she fell behind 90 days.
90 days and got evicted off some land her family had for generations.
Now the local u.S.D.A., it's no secret that there's individuals
that discriminate against black farmers
and has been discriminatin' against black farmers, ever since we had land to farm.
Uh, mr. Bordelon, uh, are you aware
that the government paid out an additional 1.2 billion settlement funds in 2013?
Uh, that woulda been around the time that you were, uh, incarcerated.
Correct?
That's correct.
I was incarcerated when I was younger.
Made some mistakes, I did some time, and I paid for 'em.
I came home ready to work like my daddy,
who worked to support our family, tryin' to climb up some ladder that don't exist.
When men, like sam landry, get to play by their own rules,
what ladder?
My daughter girl, tru, she ten months old, my boy, he's 11.
I'm not here today on my behalf, I'm here for them.
In hopes, that things'll be different,
not only for them, but hopefully for their kids, too.
I mean, it has to stop.
I won't give up.
-We need-- -ahem, all right, thank you,
uh, your remarks will be duly noted.
-Uh, next order of business-- -now, just a minute,
I want to review these files.
We'll put some time on the schedule to discuss at next week's meeting.
I'll need all of mr. Miller's case records for the last decade.
My office and I will be going through these personally,
and we'll be sharing our findings with the state agricultural committee.
I'll also need sam landry's u.S.D.A. Loan history, as well.
-And what was the other name you mentioned, sir? -Boudreaux.
Thank you, mr. Bordelon for coming here and sharing your experience with us today.
Thank you for your time today. I thank you.
[indistinct chatter]
[reporter] with just four weeks to go until election day,
progressive candidate, charley bordelon, trails by five points
behind incumbent, john green, in the polls,
and this race will be one to watch closely.
Your mom's a badass.
I sat on a panel with her once at harvard,
women changing the cultural landscape.
She had the audience on their feet at the end.
-I'm rae. -Micah, it's nice to meet you.
Um, you know, when my grandma said she was setting me up with a fund manager named rae,
-I was kind of expecting-- -a white tech bro?
-[chuckling] a white tech bro, yeah. -Listen, I get it.
It's what we're used to, but it doesn't have to be what it is.
Amen.
That's exactly why I put together my own fund.
You know, my pitch to investors was simple.
Finding propulsive ideas that are gonna shake up the world,
should be spearheaded by those who inherit the world.
Young people, who know what will appeal to us, right?
-Absolutely. -[waiter] can I take your order?
[rae] can you bring us each one a the small bites?
-Thank you. -[micah] thanks.
-So... -So...
I wanna know what makes an up and coming photographer
leave an established place and go out on your own?
You're either crazy or brave.
I don't know, I guess I didn't know who I was until I picked up a camera,
and ever since then, I felt this pull.
I wanna create something for us in web3, decidedly and definitively black.
World changing.
-You sound like an idealist. The best kind of people. -[micah chuckling]
but I didn't just build this fund on dreams, I built it on data.
On the hard fact that authenticity can be profitable, I believe that.
I agree.
I'm gonna really need to delve into your creative portfolio and your business plan.
I'm ready for that.
-But are you ready for this? 'cause this looks incredible. -[micah] oh, wow. Ooh.
-We gotta eat while we change the world, right? -Yeah, right.
Aunt martha?
-Who's there? -[exhaling] hi!
I'm looking for my aunt martha.
Nova, right?
I'm pearl, next house over.
Hi, miss pearl. Is... Is she around?
Uh, I'm sorry, dear.
Aunt martha crossed over last month.
Huh.
The past few weeks been hard.
[pearl whimpering] she led all our prayers.
You look just like them.
Oh, those lavoisier women had a air about them.
Regal, you could see it in their eyes.
-You knew my mother? [exhaling] -oh, yes.
She had a gift.
I haven't kept up this part of me. I feel like it's all lost now.
She left that out for you.
I'm gonna give you some time.
I'll be right across the way if you need anything.
Thank you.
[sighing]
[sniffling]
[exhaling]
-[micah] I appreciate you letting me tag along. -Oh, it was my pleasure.
We can't have you roamin' these mean streets unattended.
This isn't the hottest club or whatever you did with ivory, but it's a vibe.
For sure.
[softly] wow.
♪ anybody here don't need to count heads ♪
♪ anywhere you look to use ♪
hey! The queen is in the building.
Hey.
-Micah, this is blaze, they're... -Hey.
...An incredible performance artist,
print makers, supported by the ford foundation.
Favorite of darren walker, himself.
-I mean, the ford foundation, that's... Congratulations. -Appreciate it.
Micah west, right?
-Amazing new artist outta new orleans. -I'm familiar.
-Interesting work. -Thank you.
For the record, that nft that I posted of my parents
is a completely different direction.
Yeah, that one was not the move.
But then I saw your new stuff, those photos from the hurricane clean up.
Out of all that destruction and pain, you capture connection.
That's what it's all about, connection. We need more a that.
-I agree. -Ooh, let's see what's cookin'.
Liza works for shenarri freeman at cadence. You know it?
-Um, no. No, should I? -Damn, I shoulda taken you there.
The best vegan soul food you've ever had.
-[micah] okay. -They made the new york times
for the most exciting restaurants.
-Those sisters can burn. -Mmm...
-[rae] ready to meet more people? -Yeah.
Come on.
-Good people, this is micah west, straight outta the no. -No!
What's up?
I never imagined this much drama to get this deal done.
[sam] it's always somethin' with those people.
They always had to push.
Well, maybe we played the wrong hand with them.
-Maybe we shoulda tried finesse tactics. -No.
For people like them, only dominance works.
Well, it hasn't been working.
Are you doubting me?
Quite frankly, yes.
I had no intention of being here this long.
-What we're doing isn't working. -It all ends today.
The council will vote in our favor, and the bank issues,
the permit issues, the historical society issues, all disappear.
And you, a black descendent, have domain over that property as much as them.
It's a full circle moment for me.
It's... It's fate.
It's... Perfect.
Thank you all for coming. Usually our board meetings are closed.
But with a project like this with the starts and stops, we wanted full visibility.
-So you know it's real this time. -[board chuckling]
if there isn't any further discussion from the board,
let's make this vote official!
All in favor of finalizing
the sale of land for the commercial development--
uh, before a vote, uh, at this time, outside remarks must be heard.
Now, that's, uh, according to the hamilton bylaws.
I'm a long time farmer in this community,
and a proud member of the farmin' coop.
Okay then, community comments time.
-[board chuckling] -give it your best shot, sir.
How are you gonna sell land this isn't yours, sam?
Mama?
Surprised to see me, baby?
Uh, yes. Yes, ma'am.
What are you doing here?
Something that I should have done long time ago.
I've come to get you.
Uh... Get me?
I've let your father turn you into someone that I don't even recognize,
and for what?
Baby, none of his... His money and power is worth a damn when you're miserable.
I'm miserable, and I think you are, too.
Mother, please, it's a done deal.
I can't let you do this.
It's the one that keeps your checks coming every month.
Don't bite the hand, mom.
W... Watch your mouth, partner.
Part of the land that sam landry is leveraging for this deal is mine.
It's ours.
Mine and my daughter's.
-This marriage certificate doesn't mean anything unless-- -he never filed for divorce,
and I didn't either.
This, this paper right here,
it's signed by sam and his father, your grandfather.
Violet and ernest helped me figure out what to ask for.
A lump sum, plus quarterly payments according to interest rates.
That was ernest's idea.
Plus, full custody of you.
-[betty] and-- -land.
I think that's why he never divorced me.
He figured as long as we were legally wed, it was his.
But, I guess he counted on me never coming back.
Why are you back?
You don't care about this place.
I came back for you.
Mother, I live in atlanta,
and could give a damn about this place myself.
I just want my money.
That's what I care about.
Well, I care about you.
Selling out the bordelons,
and bulldozing over land that our family
has worked on for decades?
Letting your father take what he promised to me?
All that cannot abide.
You cannot let this happen.
You are better than this.
You come from better than this.
My side, good people.
You are good.
Walk away from this, imari.
It's parker.
[nova] I feel like I let martha and my mother down.
I should have went to see her more often,
I should have been more in tune with her all along,
with everything on my mother's side of the family.
I lost my way. I got distracted.
My book, dominic.
It's not me.
I failed her.
I failed all of them.
Do you still feel things for people?
When you were little, you'd get a feeling from somebody, and just,
I don't know, you'd kinda go off in a trance somehow.
Sometimes.
My mom had it too, but I haven't cultivated it.
Practiced it. I just let it go.
I mean, I can barely remember blessings and incantations.
Chants, herbs...
...I don't know how I got here.
[billie] you still believe they're here?
That those that have gone before us are still among us now?
Yes, you know I do.
Then it's not too late.
Shut 'em down, nova.
Do the work and get it back.
What is she doing here?
Who?
That was me last year.
Trying to find a place to drown my memories.
Think we should ask her over?
Hell no!
What are you even saying?
Right now, she seems like the enemy.
But I'm gonna talk to her like a human being.
It might make a difference.
Make it a whiskey, and one for her, too.
[bartender] yes, ma'am. Coming right up.
[chuckles]
I'd ask for a martini,
but I don't think they know how to make that in this podunk town.
-[bartender] here you go, ladies. -You'd be surprised.
So you look like you could use some company.
You wanna join us?
No, thanks.
Hey.
You ever call that man?
I did.
And we're getting married.
[gasps]
because of my advice?
[both chuckle]
maybe a little.
But you know, none of that would have happened
if I hadn't come home.
Faced my past.
And we both know a little bit
about coming home and blowing things up.
Where you been living again?
Chicago.
You're lucky you got out.
I was run out.
Just like you and your mother.
You ever ask her why she left?
I tried, but...
...But she shuts down.
And yet, she still came back to face your father anyhow.
[door opening]
vi's cooking dinner later.
Wants us to come by and meet betty.
[ralph angel exhales]
I'm scared.
Of what?
I thought that all this was behind us.
But I guess it was...
...Only behind me.
I'm scared to bring all this back up again.
I don't get the point.
But if it's hurting you,
I'll do it.
[ralph angel] I'm not trying to hurt you.
But if I don't talk about it, nothing changes.
What do you wanna change?
I think we should tell him.
Tell him what?
He already knows you're not his biological father.
What else do you wanna tell him?
I don't want him being surprised if he finds out about chase.
I mean, they living in the same city.
What if he end up at school with the man kids--
I do not want our son
to associate that night
with what happened to me.
With who he is.
That's not his identity, ralph angel, he's,
he's so much more than where he came from.
Ain't it better coming from us?
Ralph angel, he's only 11.
He is too young.
Blue is smart as hell. Now he's too young?
I don't want him catching up.
I always want him to know where he stands with us.
You are doing too much, ralph angel, you are doing too much.
It's his, this is so unnecessary!
-Where is this coming from? -It's coming from my gut!
Look, I remember when charlie would come for summers.
And I knew we have the same mom.
But pops never talked about it.
But it hurt.
All of us.
Look, I know how that feels.
And I don't want blue going through that.
Blue isn't you, ralph angel.
He is too young.
And it is too soon.
No.
[exhales]
[betty] you know, she's never gonna forgive me.
[exhales] I just feel like I lost my daughter.
Yeah, well.
I'm not a mother.
But I know a little bit about raising a baby,
and letting them go.
And I'm sure that you made the choice
that you thought was best at the time.
And I'm also sure
that that girl has more of you in her than she even knows.
[violet] sam.
Mm-mm.
You're not welcome here.
I'm okay about it.
I'm okay.
I brought you the paperwork.
Giving you the land outright.
I can't afford for this to go public,
after all these years.
-You still take my breath away-- -don't.
You ever wonder what our lives would have been like,
together?
Yeah. I do.
Everything would have been different.
Not just our lives. Our daughter.
This whole town could have been different,
and you could have made that happen.
Fight hatred.
Set an example.
But you were weak.
You were a coward.
So you took the easy way out.
I wish I had been stronger then.
And now.
-Hey, vi? -[violet] hey, baby!
-[ralph angel] what's going on? -Where's darla? And tru?
Tru was fussing, so darla stayed home with her.
-Good to see you too. -Mm. [chuckles]
betty, this is my nephew, ralph angel.
He's the reason that I flew to seattle to see you.
-[ralph angel] how you doing? -Oh, look at you!
Oh, I knew your daddy from,
from almost the day I was born.
And I heard about everything you're doing in st. Jo with the co-op.
Your daddy would be so proud.
I don't know if we could have held on without you stepping in.
Yeah, the arsenaults and bordelons
been shoulder to shoulder a long time.
And it's not gonna stop now.
[chuckling]
[betty] my daddy was hard on me,
but I knew deep down, he loved me.
And, he would want me to do this.
This is the property deed to the land sam stole.
My land, in my name, like it should have been all along.
That land's just been sitting there, all these years.
So I know you're gonna put it to good use.
This is for the co-op?
For the bordelons.
I mean, build a new house on it, farm it,
sell it and get your land back, whatever.
Just make good use of it.
Make it mean something.
Feels like one thing after another since we lost our land.
Not knowing if I'm doing the right thing.
Going the right way.
And you bless me with this.
-Lets me know he's still watching. -[betty] mm.
Telling me to keep going.
Thank you ain't enough, miss betty.
You just keep going, baby.
Keep going.
[ralph angel] thank you.
[betty] you're welcome.
[all laughing]
I'm telling you, now these two,
they used to follow me and ernest around like puppies.
[all laughing]
asking him all these questions about the kind of music he was listening to,
what's his favorite movie that he watched--
well, of course we did! What did you expect?
We were 10, and you were,
-you guys were, what, uh, 17 and 18? -Wow.
-Shoot, you was the coolest people we knew! -We didn't know no better!
-[laughing] -well, I'd have gave anything to see
a 17-year-old mr. Prosper!
But I bet you was cooler than a polar bear's toenails.
Still hella cool!
-Yeah! I'm nice! -Hey!
I had the biggest crush on ernest.
Ah, but vi, you knew that.
Every girl in town did.
By the time I was old enough,
you know, he was already with trudy,
and then sam started coming around.
You ever wonder what could have been?
Don't do no good, baby.
'cause boy, I coulda been your mama.
[all laugh]
[knocking on door]
uh...
...I came to apologize.
I didn't know the whole story.
I didn't know he abandoned you.
Us.
Why didn't you tell me?
Because I didn't want you
to walk through this world with the bitterness
that I held on for so long.
[violet] parker.
Baby, come on. Sit down.
We got all this food here,
it's just us, come be yourself.
Please, baby.
Stay.
This man was just in the middle of a lie.
[stammering] here, here we go! Here we go!
-[prosper] here we go! -[violet] finish! Finish!
-[prosper] finish? -[laughing]
[prosper] you're telling me to?
[all laughing]