Marcus
That Miep Gies lady, the one that help hide her, I like her. I got all these other books about her from the library.
Erin Gruwell
Wow, you used your library card?
Marcus
Nah...
A line from Marcus
Clive was my boy. He had my back plenty of times. Me and him was like one fist. One army. [Clive pulls a gun out of a paper bag and accidentally shoots himself] I sat there until the police came. But when they come, all they see is a dead body, a gun, and a ****. They took me to juvenile hall. First night was the scariest. Inmates banging on the walls, throwing up gang signs, yelling out who they were and where they from. I cried my first night. I never let anybody know that. I spent the next few years in and out of cells. Every day I worry, when will I be free?
Scenes with Marcus
5 scenes Erin Gruwell
Marcus
I've never had a hero before. But you are my hero.
Miep Gies
Oh, no. No, no, no, young man, no. I am not a hero. No. I did what I had to do, because it was the right thing to do. That is all.
Erin Gruwell
You don't feel respected, Eva, is that what you're saying? Well, maybe you're not. But to get respect, you have to give it.
Andre
That's bullshit.
Erin Gruwell
What?
Andre
Why should I give you my respect to you, lady? Because you're a teacher? I don't know you. How do I know you're not a liar standing up there? How do I know you're not a bad person standing up there? I'm not just gonna give you my respect because you're called a teacher.
Eva
White people wanting their respect like they deserve it for free.
Erin Gruwell
I'm a teacher, it doesn't matter what color I am.
Eva
It's all about color. It's about people deciding what you deserve, about people wanting what they don't deserve! About whites thinking they own this world, no matter what. You see, I hate white people.
Erin Gruwell
You hate me?
Eva
Yeah.
Erin Gruwell
You don't even know me.
Eva
I know what you can do. I saw white cops shoot my friend in the back for reaching into his pocket, his pocket! I saw white cops break into my house and take my father away for no reason except because they feel like it! Except because they can! And they can, because they're white. So I hate white people on sight!
Erin Gruwell
[after a short silence, turns to Ben, the only white student present]
Ben, do you have anything to say?
Ben
[quietly, awkwardly]
Can I please get out of here?
Marcus
Lady, stop actin' like you tryin' to understand our situation, and just do your little babysittin' up there.
Erin Gruwell
That's all you think this is?
Marcus
It ain't nothing else. When I look out in the world I don't see nobody that looks like me with their pockets full unless they're rapping a lyric or dribbling a ball, so what else you got in here for me?
Erin Gruwell
And what if you can't rap a lyric or dribble a ball?
Andre
It ain't this. I know that much.
Marcus
Damn right.
Erin Gruwell
And you all think you're gonna make it to graduation like this?
Andre
I made it to high school, ain't nobody stop me.
Marcus
Lady, I'm lucky if I make it to eighteen. We in a war! We graduatin' every day we live because we ain't afraid to die protecting our own. At least when you die for your own, you die with respect, you die a warrior!
Marcus
No, that don't fly Ma.
Erin Gruwell
First of all I'm not anybody's mother.
Andre
No, that's not what it means.
Eva
It's a sign of respect... for you.
Ben
Ms. G, we can fight this y'know, like the Freedom Riders.
Marcus
Yeh yeh, we all drive around on a bus, only this time they try and bust us up we bust a few of them board member's heads.
Brandy
Or we can go to the newspapers. Media...?
Tito
Or we can paint the administration building with the word assholes, in various colours.
