‘The Ethnic Tip’
Season 1, Episode 17 - Aired January 14, 1991
After Will petitions the school to introduce a Black history class, Aunt Vivian volunteers to teach the students.
Quote from Will
Will: Yo, G, is Aunt Viv here?
Geoffrey: Yes, she's in the kitchen. Shall l call her?
Will & Carlton: No! She can't know we're here.
Will: Look, G, she hasn't let us watch TV in a week. I'm starting to get withdrawal symptoms, man. My body needs a certain amount of microwaves.
Quote from Will
Philip: Hi, guys. How's that history class coming?
Carlton: Fine.
Will: Yeah. Decent, I guess.
Philip: Hmm. How are you doing with your term papers and your reading assignments and your economic graphs of the cotton industry?
Carlton: Dad, if you don't mind, we'd rather not talk about History class.
Philip: Okay, suit yourself. [sings] Wade in the water Wade in the water children Wade in the water...
Will: Uncle Phil, please.
Philip: If memory serves, this Black history class was your idea.
Will: Yeah, but I didn't know Aunt Viv was gonna teach it. She's driving us crazy. Last night, I had a dream that I went to the prom with Harriet Tubman.
Quote from Vivian
Carlton: Mom, I'm sorry if I wasn't as enthusiastic as the rest of the guys. You're a great teacher. It's just... Well, I hope you don't take this the wrong way... but you made our lives a living nightmare.
Vivian: Now, how did I do that?
Will: Aunt Viv, you ragged me in front of the whole class. You gave us all that extra work and made us do those reports.
Vivian: I didn't hear any complaints from the rest of the class.
Carlton: That's because you were harder on the two us.
Vivian: I'm sorry you felt I was being hard on you but I thought that the two Black students would actually want to get the most out of the course.
Will: I guess we didn't think about it that way.
Quote from Carlton
Ashley: Please, Daddy, it's fun.
Philip: Oh, okay. All right. Where do I sign?
Will: No, Uncle Phil. You deserve a fresh piece of paper. [Will smiles to camera as Uncle Phil signs the document] How about you, Aunt Viv?
Vivian: Sure. Why not?
Carlton: Oh, Will, this is always such a sad moment.
Philip: What is?
Carlton: Getting you and Mom to sign his "Hall of Shame" History exam.
Vivian: History exam?
Carlton: Sorry, Will. Mom, Dad, if it's any consolation, I got an "A" on the test and I must say I found it very easy.
Quote from Carlton
Vivian: Will, what is going on here? You do so well in English and Math. How could you do so poorly in History?
Will: It's not my fault, Aunt Viv. That class is boring.
Philip: Don't give us that, Will.
Will: No, what I meant was- I mean, they don't teach the whole story. We don't learn nothing about the Black people in American history. If they taught that, maybe I'd be more interested and work harder.
Vivian: You know, that's not a bad idea.
Will: It's not?
Philip: It's not?
Carlton: [o.s.] It's not?
Vivian: Carlton, stop eavesdropping!
Carlton: [o.s.] Sorry, Mom.
Quote from Vivian
Vivian: Now, look, this does not excuse your bad grade but I think you've made a good point about the curriculum.
Will: So we all agree here? None of this is any of my fault? This has been a very productive meeting.
Vivian: Stay put. Now, you brought up a valid point here but if you want to learn Black history, what are you gonna do about it?
Will: Unh-unh.
Vivian: Don't just complain, baby, take action! Write a statement about why you think more Black history should be added to the curriculum and present it at next week's parent-teachers' meeting. I'll go with you.
Will: You will?
Philip: You will?
Carlton: [o.s.] You will?
Quote from Will
Headmaster: Now anyway, Coach Smiley, would you care to respond to Mr. Smith?
Coach Smiley: All right. I'd like to make three points. First, in my course, we are trying to condense 200 and, oh, some odd years of history into nine months of lessons. Obviously, we have to concentrate on some historical figures and exclude others.
Headmaster: That's true.
Coach Smiley: Second, our school has a fine library, or so I've been told, where any student can study more about Black history.
Headmaster: Another good point.
Coach Smiley: Third: For years I have taught my course from this well-respected textbook and quite frankly, I don't know a lick more than what's in this book. So forget it.
Will: [stands up] But I think it's important.
Headmaster: And it is. Unfortunately, the school rulebook clearly states that any requests pertaining to curriculum changes be accompanied by-
Will: [holding a sheet of paper] A petition signed by 150 student signatures. Article 4, Section 9.
Quote from Vivian
Will: Well, what about having somebody come in to replace Coach Smiley for a month to teach some Black history?
Coach Smiley: A month off? Armstrong, I think the kid's got something here.
Headmaster: Be that as it may, I'm sure it will be some while before we can find a teacher. So, unless there's any other new business, this meeting is-
Vivian: Uh, I hate to say this, Mr. Armstrong, but it sounds to me like you're stalling.
Headmaster: Not at all, Mrs. Banks we want to make sure that the person we get is properly qualified.
Vivian: For example, a college professor with a Ph. D who's taught Black History and Literature at the university level?
Headmaster: Where are we going to find someone like that?
Vivian: You're looking at her.
Coach Smiley: See you in a month.
Quote from Carlton
Vivian: Good morning, class.
Carlton: Mom, I'd like to welcome you, and say, on behalf of the entire class how happy we are to have you here.
Vivian: What did you call me, Mr. Banks?
Carlton: What I always call you: "Mom."
Vivian: My name is not "Mom." My name is Professor Banks. That is how I prefer to be addressed. It that clear, class?
All: Yes, Professor Banks.
Quote from Vivian
Vivian: Now, all right. Not bad, guys. Okay, next week's assignment will be a report on the Port Royal Experiment and the Penn School written by Mr. Smith.
Will: Who, me?
Vivian: This course was your idea. I think it only fitting you be given the honor of the first assignment.
Carlton: Congratulations, Will. What an honor.
Vivian: Mr. Smith will write the first half of the report. The second half will be written by Mr. Banks.
Carlton: Who, me?
Vivian: I expect it to be at least 15 pages typed, double-spaced, with footnotes and a bibliography.
Carlton: This course was a brilliant idea.
Will: She's your mom.