Original subtitles

- Previously on "The Quad"...

Time out.

- Look, you and I aren't together.

- I'm pregnant, Cedric.

- To keep our doors open,

we will be merging with Atlanta State University.

- Hey, y'all can't do that.

- Get off my goddamn field.

- I'm the quarterback right?

- What?

- I love you.

- I wanted to do this ever since I first met you.

- Ula. Baby!

- Get off of her, you son of a bitch.

- All my sisters and brothers

Rise up together

Stand together

Oh

- I'm not letting you walk out.

- Mom, I don't know what else you want me to say.

I don't need to stay here. You are insane right now.

- What is wrong with you?

- God bless the child

That's got his own...

- How long do you plan to hold me hostage?

- Until you answer my questions.

- Based on what you saw, I'd say you know everything.

- Don't get cute with me, Sydney.

Remember when we talked to Dr. Herndon?

About what happens

after you've been sexually assaulted?

How rape victims explore various ways

to reclaim their bodies.

- I'm not trying to reclaim anything, mother.

I'm sorry you walked in on me and Jason having sex,

but you're overreacting.

- I am not overreacting.

- Aren't you?

You kept me here against my will all damn night.

If I had to guess, I'd say it's because

you think it's too soon for me to be in a relationship.

- You cannot be in a relationship

with this man, Sydney.

- Why?

If you know something about him,

then just tell me what it is!

- We met at Laura Farnsworth.

When I got hired here, he transferred too.

One day out of the blue, he proposed.

I couldn't marry him. So I ended it.

- Ended what?

- Our affair.

He's using you, Sydney.

He is using you to hurt me.

- Well, it was just a quick fling.

And he wasn't even that good.

- You just said--

- I'm not going to see him anymore, okay.

Isn't that what you want to hear?

- Good.

Good.

Good.

- Now I know why Daddy was so angry all the time.

He was married to a complete whore.

I want nothing else to do with you.

Ever.

- You've reached Jason. Leave a message.

- You sick, twisted son of a bitch.

You go after my daughter. How goddamn dare you!

You think I won't come for you

because I don't want people to know?

Think again. It is just a matter of when.

You piece of shit, it's just a matter of when.

Hi, Chrystal.

- Hi, ma'am. I have some bad news.

- Cecil. - Hey.

- Hi, how is he?

- Numb, in shock.

- I didn't know if I should come,

given our history,

but it didn't seem right not to come either, so.

What happened?

- Heart attack.

She was gone by the time the ambulance got here.

- So horrible.

Just pay my respects,

and let him know if there's anything I--

- I'll let him know you came by.

Hey, Fred.

- What's good? - Go on in, get in.

He knows you're coming.

- So you're the one who's in charge

of who can see Carlton, Officer Diamond?

- I just need to do what I think is best,

and if that includes screening who visits...

then so be it.

I'm not trying to be an asshole.

I just want to be here for my friend.

- I understand.

- Last time that I checked

There was five chains on my neck

It was no smut on my rep last time that I checked

I was selling zones in the set

Make a quarter mil no sweat Last time that I checked

- Thank you.

- I still feel we should be going to check on Dean Pettiway.

Yo, Miles said that Diamond said

he'll let us know when we can pay our respects.

In the meantime, bro,

let's get this meeting out of the way.

- Mrs. Hobbs-- Miss Beretta.

- Hey, Bryce, how are you?

- Doing well. Come on in. - Thank you.

- Thought you said you weren't coming down.

- I changed my mind.

- You know, I'm gonna

meet you in the admin building.

- All right. - All right.

- So what? You too good now?

You ain't got time to hug your mama?

- She's getting rid of it, Ma.

- Did she tell you that?

- She won't talk to me.

But I know she is, or she would return my calls, right?

- You need to find out from her

how she's really feeling about all of this.

- Wait, don't you need to ask me

how I'm feeling about it first?

- I assumed I knew,

seeing as how you don't have a pot to piss in.

- I--I'm gonna talk to you later, Ma.

I got--I got to go to this meeting.

- Let me know when you get back.

Aunt Vida's cooking.

- I don't want Aunt Vida all in my business.

- She already knows.

- Which means that everybody knows, Ma.

- Cedric-- - I got to go, I'm sorry.

- Baby, can you tell us what's going on?

Don't look like you been doing much sleeping.

- If you don't want to talk to us,

why did you call us?

- I need to focus.

Figure out what school I'm gonna transfer to.

- Are you that thick in your head?

Boy, you finally got your wish.

You're stuck here-- Colored U.

- I'm not staying here.

- Maybe if you talked to Coach Hardwick, you know.

Maybe--maybe if you explain-- - Annie, Annie.

Don't go filling his head up with lies.

After that stunt on the field,

ain't nobody want to work with a crazy--

- I'm not crazy!

Don't you call me that.

You of all people, don't you call me that.

- Listen...

Apologize to Coach.

Not just to get your spot back,

but because it is the right thing to do.

- Apologize? You are as crazy as your son.

- I'm not crazy! I'm you! I'm you!

- Stop, all right.

Ben, I need you to go wait for me outside, please.

Right now, please. Go wait outside.

Two seconds, all right.

I want you to close your eyes for two seconds.

Lay down.

Now calm down, son.

Come on, you got this.

Close your eyes and breathe, son.

Let it go. Let it go, baby.

- We need to talk to you, Dr. Fletcher.

- You could've warned me. - I tried.

Your phone kept going straight to voicemail.

- We can talk in my office.

- Thank you. - Mm-hmm.

- Go ahead, Bryce.

- Thanks for your time, Dr. Fletcher.

We wanted to voice some concerns

about plans for E.W. Smith Hall.

- Yeah, and how we can't

let it become a newly renovated building.

Be named after some white guy?

- You have every right to be concerned and angry.

- And we are.

But being concerned and angry isn't getting us anywhere,

or we wouldn't be merging.

I did some digging.

Do you know about the new grant they're getting?

- Right. - I do.

I have done some digging of my own.

That grant also allows them access to federal monies

and matching funds

from the Atlanta Historic Building Betterment Program.

- But they have to keep the building intact

to access these funds.

E.W. Smith Hall will be restored so much

we won't recognize it.

- I just don't know what else I can do.

- Sounds like there's nothing else you can do.

It would be more helpful if you just say that.

- I would say that if that's what I meant, Sydney.

- We don't question your intentions, Dr. Fletcher.

- Bottom line, we tried everything you could think of,

and we still find ourselves right here.

- But we still have to push back.

- Hard.

We need to make sure they know

that we aren't giving up.

We need to do something, make one last stand.

- Something that makes us feel like we did everything

we could to fight for what we know is right.

That's what we need to be about, Dr. Fletcher.

Do what we have to.

No matter the consequences.

- One last stand, huh?

- One last stand.

- There's a moment where history

has caught up with us

And we right back where we started

Some say it's a setback

Dreamers believe that this is a restart

I call this day...

Prologue

When

- Hello. - Hello.

You must be Bronwyn. I'm--

- You're Cedric's mom, yeah.

I recognize you from his Instagram.

- May I come in?

- Actually, I have a tutoring session

in a few minutes.

- I promise,

I promise I won't stay long.

- Okay. - Thank you.

- So what can I do for you, Mrs. Hobbs.

- Everyone I know calls me Beretta.

- Yeah, well, I don't know you, so.

- I know you think I'm the enemy,

but I promise you I'm not.

And I know what it's like to be faced with the possibility

of having a child before you're ready.

So, I'm just--I'm--

I'm just here to see what you need.

- I don't even know what I need.

I don't know what I'm going to do yet.

- I--I thought you decided

you weren't going to keep it--

- No, I thought so at first,

but I can't make a decision

off of some asshole guy.

I'm sorry.

- No, it's fine.

You need to think it through.

Okay, so what--what do your parents think?

They don't know yet, do they?

Oh, baby.

Cedric isn't ready to be a father.

- Did he say that? - First thing he told me.

- Well, then I guess neither one of us are ready.

- Do you have someone who can go with you?

I'm only in town for a few days,

but if you need me...

I'm here.

- Thank you, Mrs. Hobbs.

Beretta.

- Okay.

Let me get started with pissing you off.

Why was Steven Spielberg

the director of "The Color Purple"?

- Because that's what it took to get the movie made?

At that time.

- Okay, we're on the same page so far.

So, what is it going to take

to keep the university doors open at this time?

- We get it, Mr. Bean.

- Brian, please.

- Georgia A&M's financially strapped,

and you are an Atlanta State alum

who happens to be a self-made billionaire.

- When I heard E.W. Smith's story,

I knew I had to do something different.

The country's first interpretive innovation center

in his honor.

His story reminds us

that history is all about how it's interpreted.

Some might say, "Why would you ever burn down

your own property?"

Others, myself included,

looked at his actions as an act of bravery,

of defiance-- let's celebrate that.

- Put it simply, we don't want you on our campus.

- Yeah, and allowing us to grace your fancy office,

that's not gonna change that either.

- Well, I believe there are students at GAMU

that want what I can bring.

But I'm open to being wrong.

Do me a favor.

Have your student body text me on my app Textocity

because I'm a branding son of a bitch.

I'll count the yeses and nos.

Simple majority rules.

Let me know what you decide.

- Did he not hear us?

We've already decided.

- I don't...

Okay, I keep replaying it in my head.

But it feels like it should've happened

to somebody else.

And I just--

I can't explain it. And I don't want to sound--

I'm not crazy.

- You need help. - I know.

That's why I'm here.

- I made an appointment

at Student Health Services.

There's a therapist.

- Uh-uh, no, I'm not eating that.

You trying to say this is better than Sal and Vinny's?

- Try it, Ma.

Mmm. - Yeah, see?

What did I tell you?

- That's delicious.

Oh, that's delicious.

- Yeah.

- I talked to her today.

- Who? Dr. Fletcher?

- Bronwyn.

- Why would you do that

after I told you she was shutting me out?

- You were right.

She does not want a baby,

especially with a student

who has nothing to give it.

- I didn't really want to be a baby daddy anyway.

That's cool.

My music sounds good.

The right people starting to notice.

- Hey, hey, I know it's hard.

I know, but this is the right decision.

- Yeah, I know.

- She asked me to go with her.

I told her I'd have to discuss it with you first.

- I mean, yeah.

- Are you sure?

- I said "Yes," Ma.

- Okay.

- Dr. Fletcher, I'm Gayle Walsh.

- Of course you are.

I've looked forward to meeting

the lone woman on this board.

- That only happened

after reaching a five handicap

on George's most challenging golf courses.

Please.

Sounds like I need to pull out my clubs again.

- Please do. I'd love the company.

The floor is yours.

- As I'm sure we're all aware,

we are having Cultural Fest this week

honoring our university's founder.

Edward W. Smith

is more than just a name on a building.

Any attempt to rename Smith Hall

won't bode well for your merger.

Do you honestly believe

that having his name on a building

would be more important to him than student access

to the new innovation center?

- Do you honestly believe

that you have listened to anything

Georgia A&M students have said?

- Brass tacks, Dr. Fletcher.

As the chair of this board,

I am committed to GAMU's future.

Now, we are not sure that you're the right leader

for the new direction.

- And what gives you pause?

- You arranged a meeting

between your students and Brian Bean.

- Not true. - Oh, Dr. Fletcher.

- I set up a meeting for me to meet Mr. Bean.

The students tagged along.

- Without regard for our opinion on such a meeting?

- Sometimes you have to choose what's right

over what's expedient.

- Well, then we agree.

Until the ink is dry on this merger,

we cannot tell you what to do,

but we can recommend

to the Georgia A&M trustees

to ask for your resignation.

- At the end of this school year.

No need to cause anymore turmoil

at your campus.

- Hmm.

I have already tried

resigning with dignity.

If they want me out,

they will have to fire me.

- Did you know that history once was written on leather pages?

So check beneath our skin

For the legend of a past they tried to cut from us

If it has come to this then,

Listen to how it speaks volumes

- See you in the dark

Standing with your heart

In your hands

Heart filled with so much

- Mr. Pettiway?

I'm so sorry for your loss.

- Thank you.

- Right this way.

Mr. Pettiway, will any other family members be joining us?

- No, sir.

They offered, of course,

but my wife and I did everything together.

We'll do this together too.

- No need to explain, Mr. Pettiway.

I understand.

As we discussed over the phone,

I'd like you to take a look at the floral arrangements,

the casket, and the accessories.

- I checked the website.

I want the white dove casket.

The one with the full trim and the crosses at the cover

but with a satin upgrade.

Moving on to floral arrangements,

the white lilies heart wreath

with the matching casket spray.

The full spray, not the half spray.

- Understood.

- The wreath's banner should read

"To a loving and devoted wife."

The banner is red with the writing in cream.

She hated pink.

Everything you need...

is here.

I've written the obituary.

Graphic arts students are designing the program.

We should have 250 copies tomorrow afternoon.

- Very well, Mr. Pettiway.

And, again, my deepest condolences.

- What am I supposed to do now?

- I don't give a damn what you do.

Right now, you better get your ass out of my office

before I head over to the gym.

I'm gonna kill you.

- How's everybody gonna know

that I'm ready to lead next season

if they don't see me play?

- Only person needs to know you're the quarterback is me.

What now?

- Oh, ma'am, I don't--

I don't even know how to tell you.

- "Dear students and faculty,

"after thoughtful deliberation

"the board of trustees has decided to move forward

"with a change of leadership this coming fall.

"The board would like to thank Dr. Eva Fletcher

"for her leadership in...

implementing the merger."

- I just--I don't understand.

- Chrystal, we both know that I've been fighting

to hold onto this job since the first second

I stepped in this office.

- But that still doesn't make it right.

- No.

It doesn't.

- She had a wishy-washy track record.

But she doesn't deserve this.

- Oh, don't deserve this, huh?

You been the main one doubting her and talking shit.

- Can the two of you just stop?

We got to figure out our next move.

- It's like they're telling us to kiss their asses.

- It doesn't matter what they're telling us.

Have you guys been checking Textocity?

We're winning by a two to one margin.

He said if we don't want him here, he'll go away.

- Oh, and you believe him?

- I don't.

- You shouldn't.

He plans to prove to students

he wants to preserve the school's culture.

- Told y'all not to trust him.

I say we go down to his damn office

without Dr. Fletcher and handle this ourselves.

- I am done. I'm done!

- Hey. - Hey.

- Just... heard the announcement.

Wanted to check on you.

- Thanks, I'm fine.

- Now you're starting to sound like me.

Careful.

That was just almost a smile.

- It's hard to smile

when you've given everything you have

and still come up short.

- All we can do is our best

and let the chips fall as they may.

How's Sydney?

- We aren't...

we aren't speaking at the moment.

- Hmm.

Hey, well, what's the deal

with...you and that kid Sydney was with?

- There is...no deal.

- Must have been a little something.

I mean, the way he looked at you

and talked to you, you know, like--

- Like I'd be so grateful

if we'd talk about something else.

- All right.

On that note, I'll...

leave you to handle your business.

- Our founder E.W. Smith heard a chorus line of footsteps

Mistook them for heartbeats

So he readied himself for birth

Curled his hand around the torch to pass it on

No man should have to be led to freedom

He should know the route

Like the taste of mother's milk

Why'd he leave? Where's Daddy at?

- I'm sorry, baby,

but Daddy ain't coming home no more.

- I want my daddy. - Hey. Hey.

It's gonna be all right, little man.

- How are you gonna be a daddy?

You are still just a child,

a foolish, foolish child.

- No, Ma, Ma. I can do-- - No.

- Ma, listen to me.

I'm not a child. I can do this.

- No.

- You can't do it.

- Bruh, bruh?

Are you gonna answer that or what?

- It's my ma.

- Well, it ain't her fault

you ain't put that thing on silent.

- Hey, Ma.

- Hey, I'm here picking up Bronwyn.

I'll call you when we're done.

- BoJohn Folsom?

- All right.

I'll be right here.

- Thank you. Right this way.

- Good morning, Referral Line.

How may I help you?

- Hi, I'm calling about getting a referral

for a therapist.

- And what kind of therapist are you looking for, sir?

- Yes...

a psychologist.

- Patient's name, please?

- Eugene Hardwick.

- What's this?

- A ribbon from Mom's Bible.

Whenever I'm nervous, I hold it,

and it calms me down.

Cedric, what are you doing here?

- Baby, can I--can I talk to you, please?

- There's nothing to talk about.

You need to go back to your dorm.

- Cedric, this isn't the place or the time to be--

- Look, I know that I've said and done

some dumb things.

But maybe God brought us to this point for some reason.

- Maybe you wound up here

because you were being irresponsible.

- All I'm saying is

how can I fight for GAMU

and not fight for the life of my own child?

- What are you talking about?

Your mom already told me that you don't want this baby.

- Ma, how the hell could you say that?

- You said you didn't want to be a baby daddy.

And you are right.

You're right, neither of you are in a position

to raise a child.

- Mom, that's not your damn decision to make.

First of all,

I don't know who the hell you think you're talking to,

but you have about five minutes to get your mind right.

I worked like a dog by myself

to raise you and give you this life.

I'll be damned if I don't have a say

about you just throwing it all away.

- Look...

I know that this situation

isn't perfect for either one of us.

But I am not trying to do something

that we both will regret for the rest of our lives.

- Sir, I'm gonna have to ask you to leave.

- You are the one carrying this baby.

So it's your decision to make.

But don't do it because you think that I won't be there.

- I'm scared, Cedric.

- Hey, hey, look.

Look at me, look at me.

My dad died when I was four.

I don't remember much.

Little things I do remember, they were good.

I swear to you

on everything

that I will be there for our child.

No matter what happens between us.

I will love my kid.

- You need to come with us.

- Yeah.

- Are you all right? - No.

No, I'm not okay--stop! - She's gonna be fine.

- Let's do this, Miss Platt.

Why don't we go into my office alone,

so we can talk about all your options?

- Okay, thank you. - Okay.

It's all right.

- We are the ones who celebrate those

Who took risks in the dark

When their sunsets were cut short

Instinctively, we rise with the dawn

E.W. Smith told us it's a new day

Sacrificed sleep in order to keep his promise

In respect and gratefulness, we remember his name

- How are they so willing to museum us

But not willing to let us live our story?

They can only place us behind a glass for so long

For this pride of mountain cats

Will unlock our tongues

Rattle our lungs

We must be ignited by the resilience

Remembering the land we stand on

And the dirt we must grow up from.

- GAMU.

Remember there was a need for a fire first

In order to rise from the ashes

- I am who I am.

So I'm gonna say what needs to be said.

You are doing God's work.

And I hope that one day that will be enough.

Told you you didn't need to come by today.

- I know what you told me.

But I didn't have nothing else to do.

- Trying to decide which ones

to put in the program.

I need to get these over to the graphic arts students

in the morning.

- Anything I can do?

- Thanks, Fred. You've done enough.

I especially appreciate you contacting everybody.

- You know, that's what friends do.

You already know how Fred does it.

- Well, you've gone beyond the call of duty.

I remember that.

The Delta's New Year's Eve Party.

I hooked up with one of Ula's sorors.

Everything was going well!

Until her husband showed up.

I never could forget the time

Ula saw me hanging out at the townhouse.

She started teasing me.

Talking about old man up in the club.

After that, every time she see me she'd greet me with:

"Used to come here till old men started hitting on me."

Hell, old men need love too.

- Cecil, please.

You don't need to babysit me.

- Man, I ain't going nowhere.

- How am I supposed to know if I can be in this house

without her...

if y'all won't let me be?

- Maybe it ain't time for you--

- Soon as Dwight left, here come Lenny.

Soon as he leaves, you at the door.

Go.

- I know you're hurting.

- You don't know a damn thing about what I'm feeling.

So, please, get out.

- I'm sorry, man.

I'll go.

I'll go.

I...

Oh God.

Oh God!

Oh...

Oh God.

- As you probably know by now,

the board of trustees has announced

that I will no longer be your president.

To be clear, I was fired.

The predominantly white institutions

need to learn that we will fight

to keep our culture and our identity.

And thank you, Brian Bean,

but we don't need you to teach us who we are.

But maybe we can teach you

how to be a man of your word,

how to do what's right,

no matter the consequences.

- Yo.

You doing this?

- I'm here, ain't I?

- What if your dad finds out?

- He gonna find out that I'm all man.

- Yo, I'm at war Here we be

Yeah, we don't really like police

Y'all be criminals twisted up individuals

With a gun and a badge claiming you defending who?

But check this...

- Let's do it.

- But tried nearly But y'all ain't heard me

Now I'm giving seven Kaepernick jersey

- All my sisters and brothers

Rise up together Stand together

- "Past is prologue, Dr. Fletcher.

Therefore we have to stop what we know is coming."

- "When E.W. Smith learned that his home,

"a safe stop along the Underground Railroad,

"had been compromised,

"he burned it to the ground

"to stop runaway slaves from showing up.

"It was the only way he could make sure

slave catchers had no reason to come there."

- "A decade later on that same spot

"he built what is now Georgia A&M.

"I want to believe that my ancestors

"would've fought for what E.W. Smith stood for.

"This is not a reckless, petulant act of children

"too young to understand.

"It is the act of conscious young adults

who must remember even if others don't."

- "It's simple:

"They will get federal funds to disrespect our heritage

"if they refurbish this building.

So there will be no building to exploit."

- "Tonight, we set E.W. Smith Hall free,

"rather than allowing those who don't give a shit

to gentrify his legacy."

- Rise up together Stand together

- Rise up together Stand together

Oh Oh

Rise up together Stand together

Oh oh

Whoa whoa

Trying to find a light but it's the long way back

All my sisters and brothers

Rise up together Stand together

- The only thing that's more powerful

than their hatred for us

is our love for ourselves.

That's why we must never give up.

- Tell me what you want from me

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