♪ Unh, unh, unh, I been puttin' in the work ♪
♪ Ain't no tellin' what I'm worth ♪
♪ I been duckin', I gon swerve ♪
♪ Got 'em buckin' in the burb ♪
♪ I just spend lots of paper ♪
♪ Still got plenty for later ♪
First week of college, and I'm already in my bag.
Transition's going smooth,
and I've already met some interesting new people.
♪ Ah, ah, ah ♪
Like Annika Longstreet.
♪ Ooh, nana, ooh, nana ♪
♪ Ooh, nana, eh, ah ♪
♪ I been running all day, ooh, nana ♪
Junior: She's someone who's always felt
that she was bigger than wherever she was.
♪ Ooh, nana, ooh, nana ♪
♪ Ooh, nana, eh, ah ♪
If the girls she grew up with
were Destiny's Child...
she needed to be Beyoncé.
♪ Eh, ah ♪
She is the living manifestation
of decades of female empowerment...
the civil rights movement...
and Oprah having her own network.
There is nothing she didn't think was possible.
♪ I been puttin' in the work, ain't no tellin'... ♪
Because no matter the challenge,
Annika was up for it.
♪ Got 'em buckin' in the burb ♪
Are you sure you want to run for office?
You're just a freshman. No one knows you.
They will.
And Cal U was gonna be the place
where she started her journey
to making sure everyone knew her name.
Okay, "Uh-nee-kuh."
It's Ahh-nih-kuh.
♪ Watch out, world, I'm grown now ♪
♪ I'm grown ♪
♪ Learn something new every day ♪
♪ I don't know, so I'mma feel my way ♪
♪ Got the weight of the world on me ♪
♪ But no regrets, this is what I say ♪
♪ Watch out, world, I'm grown now ♪
♪ I'm grown ♪ ♪ You can tell me ♪
♪ My heart beating so loud ♪
♪ Mama, look, I'm grown now ♪
♪ I'm grown ♪
Guys! Exciting news.
I'm running for class secretary,
and I've just come up with the perfect slogan.
[ Ding! ]
"I'm With This Bitch."
Well, yeah, Annika felt like
"I'm With Her" was kind of played out. Oh.
We just came from the Clubs and Activities Fair.
I didn't run for student government,
but I did check out the campus improv scene.
Really? Yes.
And you guys should stop by.
I went by. I only made it half a lap,
and some rep tried to pitch me on going into pediatrics
after med school, but I'm not so into chil--
Feet?
No. Children. Huh?
I don't know why you guys want to join a club.
My sister Zoey told me that clubs are for commuter students
and people who can't get into off-campus bars.
Come on, bro. Join something.
You gotta commit to the college experience --
you know, ball games, tailgating,
getting our stomachs pumped.
I mean, that's what we're here for.
-Ehh... -Mm, speak for yourself.
I am here because my dead immigrant grandma
would rise from the grave if I didn't get a college degree,
and it was hard enough getting her in there the first time.
And I am here to get that paper so I can get that paper.
You know what I'm sayin'?
There's only so much you can do
and so much you can make without a degree.
Annika: Come on, guys. Think bigger.
Do you really want to just be a doctor or a marketing exec
making boring ads that people just skip over?
Excuse me. Boring? Have you ever seen
our Stevens & Lido skydiving tampon commercial?
That campaign was submitted for an Adweek Award, thank you.
And do you know how hard it is to "just" be a doctor?
I'm not insulting doctors.
I'm just saying, if you're gonna be a doctor, be Dr. Phil.
That feels like you're insulting doctors.
Mm-hmm. Look at Rihanna.
She could just drop incredible albums,
but to become Rihanna,
she had to have Savage and Fenty.
So your "Umbrella" is "I'm With This Bitch"?
No.
I'm just saying that this is my play
to get tapped by The Crest.
Uh...
You do know that Cal U has a secret society, right?
Absolutely.
-He doesn't. -I don't.
Well, it's our version of Skull and Bones,
and it's a proven path to becoming a senator,
a C. E. O., or even president.
Once you're in, you're on your way to running the world.
Mm. You know what? I'm good.
What you just described
does not sound like it's for Black people.
Well, neither were the Oscars before Halle Berry.
♪♪
Did she just compare herself to Halle?
I think so. Zaara: Yep.
♪ I got the moves, yeah, I got the juice, yeah ♪
Aaron: First day, already the face of the university.
Hmm.
♪ Yeah, moves that make lil' mamas shake, ankles break ♪
♪ Moves that make my pockets fat ♪
Okay, Zo. ♪ Beat that money, andale ♪
♪ I'm ballin' like Jrue Holiday ♪
♪ Pack my bags, move out of state ♪
♪ Like, I'm so fly, I'm outer space ♪
♪ You got a move, I'm in a blitz, whoa ♪
Doug: Professor Jackson! Professor Jackson!
I'm your biggest fan! Will you sign my ass for me?
[ Laughs ] Congrats, brother.
You're a fool, man.
What up, boy? What's up, what's up?
Hey, funny thing --
I've actually done that. What?
A woman got a tattoo of my signature
after an Afro-Salon event in Johannesburg.
So, what are you doing here? Quick coffee run for the office?
You know, you should make it a coffee slow walk
so that you don't spill anything on your new super pastor suit.
Oh, very cute. He thinks I'm an errand boy. We'll see.
No, come on, bro. I think you're an errand man.
Oh. Well, actually, I'm getting coffee for myself.
I don't do grunt work, just grinding.
Alright, look, no shade. I just --
I figured, you know, that's what assistants do.
I mean, typically, yeah, but not me.
I mean, I'm beyond that. I'm on my Oprah shit.
Oprah? Yeah.
That's who you're going with?
Yeah. Okay.
Well, you know, you could have said Steve Jobs, Warren Buffett,
Floyd Mayweather. Whoa, whoa, whoa.
The point is, I'm killing it at work right now.
I mean, they've got me handling stuff around the agency
they usually give to people three titles --
three titles above my level.
I'm on course to have my five-year plan down to a three.
Maybe 2 1/2.
That's a good look. Thank you.
Proud of you, man. Thank you.
You know, you also could have said, uh, Bob Johnson,
Jack Dorsey, Tyler Perry.
These are all great options.
Hey, looking good, Assistant Professor Jackson.
Hey! Feeling good, Dean Watson.
How you guys doing? Welcome, welcome.
Ah, I swear, sometimes it's just too easy.
You know what? I don't have a problem with school spirit.
I'll flip a cop car when we beat Cal State Rancho Cucamonga.
[ Indistinct shouting ]
Whoo!
Just kidding. I'm Black.
It's just with this being my second go-round at school,
I don't have time to mess around.
I know what I'm here for.
I'm here to get my degree and get ou--
What -- [ Grunting ]
What the...?
♪♪
Alright, look, if you're holding me for ransom,
just call my dad, Andre Johnson Sr.
Tell him you have Virgil Abloh's last pair of Off-Whites
in a size 12, narrow.
He will wire you any amount of money you need.
Female voice: Andre Johnson Jr., you've been chosen.
For what?
The Crest.
♪♪
Cool.
Make sure you vote for me. Thanks. Oh, my God, Junior.
You should have been here last night.
They finally figured out who pulled the fire alarm
in the middle of the night. It was Tasha Wong.
But, I mean, if she didn't want to hear people going at it,
she should have just gone to BYU.
Yeah, that's true.
Where were you, bro?
Oh, I was just out.
You know, just being out and about. It's whatever.
Well, you're smiling like you just found your G-spot.
What is up with you?
It's nothing.
You know, I just had some things that I had to handle.
[ Chuckles ] Some secret things...
that happen in a society.
Wait. Did you get tapped by a secret society?
Hmm.
Hold on. Did The Crest tap you?
Oh! She got it out of me.
You got into that Illuminati cut? Yes, sir.
Ooh, we up! Let's go.
I got shotgun on your next Elon flight. Got you, bro.
Wait. Heh. What's happening?
Are you a "Johnson & Johnson" Johnson?
Because if not, this literally makes no sense.
I don't know. I guess they just saw something in me.
Something undeniable. So...
Undeniable? Mm-hmm.
Like a Tom Ford aviator undeniable? Hardly.
They chose you because you're a non-threatening Black man.
What? You heard me.
You're the safe choice, Barack.
I am hardly a safe choice.
Raised in the suburbs, private-school education.
You make them look good while increasing diversity.
Plus, they know you'll never rock the boat...Barack.
Okay, you keep on saying "Barack"
like it's an insult when it's definitely not.
Of course not. Barack.
Okay, Annika, look.
I am sorry that they didn't choose you,
but I don't know what I can do about that.
♪♪
[ Scoffs ] What?
Wow. Finally a cold front in SoCal.
Um, well, I'mma dip, 'cause...
I'm with that bitch.
♪♪
♪ I'm a big, big, big, big, big, big ♪
♪ I'm a big shot ♪
♪ I'm a big, big, big, big, big... ♪
Amazing! You're killing it.
Killing it! Incredible work, guys.
In-credible!
This is a disaster.
You took the words right out of my mouth, Robin.
[Singsong voice] Full train wreck.
This day. We haven't gotten the shot yet.
And now Glossier wants a whole new graphics package
for their campaign. [ Cellphone buzzes ]
Is there anything I can do?
Yet another fire to put out.
Robin: No, no. That's not what I told you.
[ Camera shutter clicking ]
♪♪
Can I make a few suggestions?
And who exactly are you? Oh. Doug.
I'm one of the Account...Executives.
Junior Account Executive.
I'm part of Robin's team. Mnh.
Look, this right here, this -- This isn't hot.
This is kind of giving lukewarm.
But I have some ideas to give it a little energy.
So let's get into it.
You're sure about this?
Trust me. They're gonna love it.
♪ Big, big, I'm a big shot ♪
[ Indistinct conversations ]
♪♪
There's the face of Cal U!
[ Chuckles ] Guilty as charged.
Ahh. The face of Cal U. That's funny.
♪♪
Man on TV: ...this commercial break.
Announcer: At California University of Liberal Arts,
we pride ourselves on being the intersection
of academics and culture.
What the [bleep]?
California University,
where you'll see yourself.
"Educated Black Minds Matter."
You see that?
I told you, you should have trademarked it.
T-The only reason I came back to Cal U
is 'cause I was promised that things would change.
2% of this college is Black.
Of that 2%, 20% are athletes.
There's a lot of work to do, but these ads,
they make me feel... exploited.
Bro, it is time to man up in the real world.
You've always been this disruptor,
so go out and disrupt some shit.
We're grown-ass men.
It's time to get out there and take what we want.
I mean, respectfully and consensually, of course.
I'm glad you added that.
No one's gonna give our generation anything.
Look, if I wasn't on my game,
I'd be getting coffees like the rest of these assistants,
but instead I'm running photo shoots.
Okay, so... what you're saying is,
I need to dust off the orange jumpsuit.
I'm saying...I don't think the people at this university
know what Assistant Professor Aaron Jackson
is capable of until you tell them!
Bet.
Buck the system. Right!
-Be a doer! -Exactly!
Because -- W-What is that old saying?
Those who can do and those who can't...
Teach. Yeah.
Your words, not mine.
♪♪
Sometimes you're really bad at being a good friend.
I know Annika was disappointed
when she wasn't chosen for The Crest,
but she was way out of line when she went off on me.
I know who I am, and I am not safe.
I speak my mind.
I let the Reddit boards know
how I really feel about the "Snyder Cut."
Maybe they see some greatness in me
I didn't even see.
[ Glass clinking ]
Congratulations to the future leaders of Cal U and America.
Welcome to The Crest.
All: Cheers!
-Yeah! -Whoo!
[ Applause, glasses clinking ]
This is incredible.
I feel like a Batman villain. In the best possible way.
Hmm. Hey, man.
Hey. Hey. I'm Kyle.
Junior. Nice to meet you.
Hey, look, I'm sorry for the whole
"hood over the head" thing last night. Oh.
When they did that to me, I was ready to fight.
Some things you just can't do to a Black man, right?
It's true. My whole life did flash before my eyes.
It was a lot of me playing video games.
[ Chuckles ] Man.
When I look around this room,
I see the people we'll be building the future with.
You know, when I got to Cal U,
I was all work, but it's interesting --
I can really think about my place here.
Maybe I could be the next shot-caller, huh?
Ah, that's why you came to college, right?
Ah, it wasn't. But I'm down now.
You know they haven't let a lot of us in places like this,
but it's good to see things changing,
because the sky is the limit now,
and this is your ticket to changing the world.
Being a C. E. O., a judge,
maybe even the second Black president...Barack?
Again with the "Barack". What is up with that?
I get it -- I'm eloquent, I am dashing,
but if there's one thing I am not, it is safe.
I mean, I will rock the boat.
♪♪
Hey, so, it's great that all the efforts towards diversity
are really paying off,
but we could be doing more, right?
What do you mean? I mean, for starters,
opening things up for more Black kids who didn't grow up
in the suburbs or go to a private high school?
If we're gonna run the country,
we need to look like the country.
There's someone you should consider.
Annika Longstreet.
Annika Longstreet? Yes, man!
She is smart, focused, pathologically driven
in a way that is a little scary, honestly,
but I think she is perfect for you guys.
Look, I get what you're doing, but that's not gonna happen.
Why not?
Let's just say that everyone can see
that she's not right for us.
You are, and that's why we chose you.
Oh, man. You just gotta get to know her.
She is great.
And if it's about numbers, she can even have my spot.
This isn't covering a shift at the Olive Garden, Junior.
Don't let the Louboutins and the Gucci fool you.
She's just not one of us.
And The Crest isn't about to go ghetto.
[ Guests gasp ]
Let's see Barack Obama do that.
Ow.
Okay, maybe that's not exactly how it went down.
[ Rewinding ]
And The Crest isn't about to go ghetto.
Well, then The Crest isn't about to get Andre Johnson Jr.
♪♪
[ Chuckles ]
I was driven here blindfolded,
so I'm definitely gonna need a ride home.
Yo, yo. What's the good news on the shoot?
Did you tell the Creative Director
that you were in charge? No.
I mean, I let him do his thing and I added some ideas in.
He almost quit.
Do you know how insulted he was to have some college kid
come in and tell him how to do his job?
I'm not a college kid.
And you're also not an Account Executive.
I don't think this is working.
No. Look, Robin. We -- We can figure this out.
I've been doing really good here.
I thought I was helping.
Robin, this is a big mistake.
We can get past this.
Oh, I'm way past this.
You can get your final check at the end of the week.
Thanks.
Ohh.
♪♪
What?
I came to say that you were wrong.
I am not the safe Black choice.
I almost punched a guy who's probably gonna decide
whether or not we go to Mars
or where the next World Cup is gonna be.
I'm not joining The Crest.
Well, there goes any chance of you ever going to Davos.
What's Davos? Oh, my God.
If you have to ask, it just proves you don't belong.
Okay.
Look. I'm sorry I went at you for getting in.
I was just jealous.
All my life, I've wanted
something more than I've had, you know?
Going to college and getting a good job
just isn't enough for me.
I want that elevator ride to the top.
I want things that no Black girl has ever dreamed of.
That way, maybe there'll be a little Black girl out there
who can dream beyond what I can imagine.
I know whatever you end up doing,
you're gonna inspire a lot of people, Annika.
Thank you.
You know, it was kind of nice
to dip a toe into the idea of belonging to something,
you know, knowing some people would have my back.
Maybe I should find a club to join.
Well, whatever you do, do not join the John Birch Society.
They make The Crest look like Howard.
[ Chuckles ] But, seriously,
we need to find someplace that we can rock with.
We have to find our people.
♪♪
Assistant Professor Jackson. The big man on campus.
Yeah. Uh, about that.
All of the, uh, banners and the bus ads --
Research has shown they've been very effective.
Yeah, but they all --
Well, don't they all seem a bit much?
I don't follow you.
I told you, the university is very excited
that you've come back home. Mm-hmm.
But "Educated Black Minds Matter," it just...
It sounds a little demeaning
to actual educated Black minds.
Well, we're a changing university.
Two years ago, you shut down your own graduation.
Yeah. Now you're an assistant professor.
I -- [ Sighs ]
I just don't know if I want to be the face of all this.
So just take me off.
Aaron.
To do what I need to do, I can't play it safe.
I'm sorry, but y-you brought me back to this university,
and I have to stay true to me.
Hope you can understand.
Junior: So what is college for?
Maybe it's to see who you are...
♪ I'm touchin' down ♪
...if you're someone that rocks the boat.
♪ Pull up on you ♪
Is it time to level up
and meet the challenge of your generation?
♪ Don't make a sound ♪
[ Knock on door ]
Is it time to dream...
♪ Cannot be found ♪
♪ I got two seats ♪
♪ We got tonight ♪
♪ She up on me ♪
♪ We up all night ♪
You just gonna stand there...
or are you gonna let me in?
♪ You trying to get her back ♪
♪ I'm Kobe with the steal ♪
♪ MIA, MIA-A ♪
♪ Back in your city, yeah, pullin' up ♪
...or become more realistic?
♪ MIA-A ♪
♪ MIA, MIA-A ♪
Maybe part of what college is about
is just your experiences and the people you meet.
♪ MIA-A ♪
♪ MIA, MIA-A ♪
♪ Back in your city, yeah, pullin' up ♪
♪♪
Which makes me think...
maybe I do need to find my thing.
You really said that to Dean Watson? Good for you.
Look, bro, this is tenure-track talk, right?
So I just told him it wasn't cool to exploit us like that.
You can't use my face and not hear my voice.
You think he took it to heart?
100%. I just --
I told him what it was and what it should be,
and that was it, you know?
Well, I can tell you what it is right now.
[ Aaron sighs ]
Well. [ Scoffs ]
Let's just hope they change the ones in the bathroom.