Woman: The team was already set. He kicked my son off the Knowledge Bowl team, and I can't help but feel like that, what, there's a little bit of favoritism going on?
Principal Cartwright: I-I'm sure that's not something that Mr. Brady was doing purposefully.
Mr. Brady: No, I was only rewarding the students who performed the best.
Man: What about that drum he brought into class? What does tribal drumming have to do with English?
Adult Dean: Concerned White parents have always been at the forefront of the battle to ensure that what we teach in schools is fair and balanced.

Mr. Brady: Dean. Do you know why I made you captain?
Dean: Because you were treating us Black kids special?
Mr. Brady: Is that what you thought I was doing? I made you captain because you're the smartest student on the team.
Dean: Then why'd you take me out and put Brad in?
Mr. Brady: Well, when I first met Brad, I could tell he had potential, but he didn't take anything seriously, so I challenged him to work harder, and he rose to the occasion. [laughter] For the most part. As for you... I could tell from the first day of class that you were uncomfortable getting attention from me because I'm Black.
Dean: It's because I wanted people to like you.
Mr. Brady: No, actually, it's because you wanted people to like you. You see, wanting to be liked is a dangerous thing. It can mask itself as wanting all the White students to like the Black teacher, or wanting to make everyone on the quiz team happy.
Dean: Because I was really scared that if the White kids thought you were giving me special attention, they wouldn't like me. Or if I didn't listen to everyone's answers on the Knowledge Bowl, they wouldn't like me.
Mr. Brady: But at the end of the day, all that really happened was that you put your light under a bushel. Every future leader needs to learn how to make their own decisions, even if it means people won't like them. I hope what happened today makes you realize what you're really capable of.

Bill: Look, I'm just saying, I like the way you're shaking things up. These boys need to see that.
Adult Dean: [sighs] I asked my dad to talk him down, not radicalize him.
Cory: I got to say, those drums you brought to school were pretty cool, Mr. Brady.
Bill: Sounds like a great teaching tool. I may have to try it out myself someday.
Lillian: And I'm sure it will be very well-received, since you work at a Black university surrounded by Black people. You have a freedom at work that many of us at this table don't.
Bill: Now, that is true. I think the Good Lord saw fit to give me that job because he knew I didn't have the temperament to work in a more conservative office. Amen. [laughter]

Dean: I like Mr. Brady, but... [sighs] I was thinking maybe you could talk to him.
Bill: About?
Dean: Well, it feels like he's giving special attention to the Black kids, and some of my White friends are feeling left out.
Bill: You sneak a sip of the whiskey? 'Cause you're clearly not thinking right. You think those White kids felt bad about all the special attention they were getting from the White teachers?
Dean: I-I don't know. It feels like whenever he does something nice for us, everybody stares like... like they're mad.
Bill: People predisposed to hating gonna actively hate.
Adult Dean: Oh, man. He was almost the first dude to say "haters gonna hate."
Dean: And now me, Cory, and Keisa are all on the Knowledge Bowl team, and Brad got bumped.
Bill: Listen, you're not doing anything wrong, and neither is Mr. Brady. Seems to me like he's just trying to level the playing field.

Mr. Brady: Before I announce the results, I want to thank everyone who showed up today and brought their A game. I've tallied all the scores, and the students who've earned a place on this year's Knowledge Bowl team are Keisa... Brett... Cory... Karen... and Dean. As the highest scorer, Dean, you'll be captain. Brad, you'll be the alternate. Congratulations to everyone.
Adult Dean: A team that was 100% White is now 60% Black. That's what we call reparations math.

Mr. Brady: I was reviewing Mrs. Anderson's grade book and noticed you all have excellent grades. Has anyone ever suggested you try out for the Knowledge Bowl team?
Cory: I got asked to try out for the basketball team.
Keisa: Track and field.
Dean: Nobody asked me to join any teams.
Mr. Brady: I see. Well, I've decided to hold a new round of tryouts so everyone can have the opportunity to earn a spot, and I think you all should consider trying out.
Adult Dean: It took most teachers a week to stop calling me "Cory," but Mr. Brady was already letting us know that he sees us. [Mr. Brady nods at Dean] And there it was. The first Black head nod. You just witnessed history, people.

Adult Dean: So much of our early lives are shaped by teachers. Outside of our parents, they can be our first role models. They pour so much into us, and still, teachers are basically strangers. As kids, we didn't even see them as people, and we definitely never thought about their personal lives, unless we had to.
Mrs. Anderson: Now, before we go, I wanted to let y'all know that, sadly, this will be my last week in class before my visit from the stork.
Brad: How is she even pregnant? Isn't she like 62?
Adult Dean: Mrs. Anderson was 30, but at that age, we thought all our teachers were ancient.
Mrs. Anderson: You'll meet your new teacher tomorrow, and I expect you to all be as wonderful to them as you have been to me.
Adult Dean: English class was pretty boring, but we loved Mrs. Anderson, especially pregnant Mrs. Anderson. The bigger her stomach got, the less homework she assigned. We were more excited about that baby than she was.
Brad: What are the odds we can get another pregnant lady in here? [all chuckle]

Pearl: You're gonna love this, DJ. We jump into there... from up there.
Dean: There's no way you guys actually do that.
Pearl: I know you're not scared, DJ.
Buster: Yeah, this is nothing compared to the gunfire you said you fall asleep to in Montgomery.
Pearl: And the interstate highway you said you walk across to get to school.

Dean: You guys make your bikes yourselves?
Buster: Yeah, there's always parts lying around.
Dean: Oh. I just get a new bike whenever I outgrow my old one.
Big Jim: You mean whenever you outgrow Bruce's old one? [Dean chuckles nervously]

Adult Dean: As we got comfortable with each other, my cousins shared details of their "embellished" lives.
Buster: Well, that's cool. We mostly do stuff outdoors. Like jumping our dirt-bikes off that 20-foot hill.
Pearl: The mounts aren't back yet, but the taxidermist says it's the biggest buck he's ever seen.
Buster: When I turn 14 next month, I'm gonna get my driver's license.
Dean: No way.
Buster: They call it an agricultural license. So we can drive tractors on the road and stuff. Motorcycles, too.
Adult Dean: Okay, that actually sounded legit. And pretty cool. I had to keep up!
Dean: [laughs] Uh, yeah, my dad's teaching me to drive right now. So he can send me out for a pack of smokes whenever he needs to.
Big Jim: Your dad, Bill Williams, teaching you to drive now?
Dean: Granddad. [looks pleadingly at Big Jim]
Big Jim: Right, right. Of course he is. [chuckles]