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Ep. 7 - No More Handouts
404 Plays2 years ago
Malcolm must find the courage of his conviction when faced with the reality of cost.
With Drew Drake as Malcolm O'Brien and Rob Karma Robinson as Raymond Aurum.
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Transcript
Initiating the Meeting Discussion
00:00:00
Speaker
the the the
00:00:32
Speaker
Catch. We're going to meet with Betts and Nicholson today. Now? No time like the present. Who's going to be here? Crystal. She'll watch the place for an hour or two. Are you serious? Yeah. Was that a problem? I thought you were chomping at the bit. I am. Good. Get your jacket on.
Unveiling Change of Plans
00:00:50
Speaker
Let's go. Wait a second. Don't worry. It's nothing formal. There's a change of plans.
00:00:58
Speaker
So, how
Opportunities Within the Coalition
00:01:00
Speaker
with it? First off, I tried to work this out for everyone. It's only important to me that five points get to the jobs. Your contact's still good on his word. Of course he's good. Because I got you straight with the coalition.
00:01:12
Speaker
You got me straight. This works out, and you're in. Full membership. Absolutely. They'll look to you to take the lead on this one. You make it fly like I know you will, and they'll start looking at you for a whole lot more. Now that I know you understand. So what's this change of plans?
Family Tensions Over Contractor Connections
00:01:35
Speaker
My friend of a friend is my brother, and the prime contractor is my dad.
00:01:43
Speaker
there. And? I didn't tell you that earlier. No, you sure didn't. Because you would have dismissed the idea. Oh, ye of little faith. I know you see that this is a great opportunity for the coalition, regardless of who the prime contractor is. So tell me what else is it that you've got to tell me?
00:02:06
Speaker
You're not angry that I lied? I already knew. But you didn't say anything. Because you're right about it being a huge opportunity. So this is you coming clean? Yes. I don't want this deal to fall through. So now that we've got that settled, let's go to the coalition with a good conscience.
Disagreement on Family Involvement
00:02:31
Speaker
I'm stepping aside for my brother Anthony.
00:02:34
Speaker
He's doing the interviewing and the hiring with my dad, so you and the board will have to work with him. Your brother is just out of rehab, Malcolm. That wouldn't be a problem.
00:02:44
Speaker
I'm sorry, but it won't work for me or for the Coalition. It's not like he's a junkie. Yes, it's exactly like he's a junkie, Malcolm. I agree. It's complicated, but it won't interfere, I promise you. We can't have that association. What? You never made mistakes? Rehabilitated or not, it's not in our best interest. And that's what I look out for. Raymond, you understand that an association with me is an association with him.
00:03:14
Speaker
He's my brother. This is yours, your idea, your vision. And you set up the meeting, so go. Present it to the board and tell them the deal. And what are you gonna do? Ten bar? You're too accustomed to having things handed to you on a silver platter. Everything's going to work out for the coalition, even if I'm not involved. Are you sure that's what you want? I don't have a choice.
Debating Coalition's Major Contract Bid
00:03:41
Speaker
The deadline forbidden on the contract's been extended for two weeks. Did you know that as well? I'm gonna assume you didn't. What does that have to do with anything? It's everything. It's my father's. Yeah, I know. He's your dad. And that's why you wouldn't even let yourself think that the coalition could just as easily be the prime as him.
00:04:03
Speaker
We'll make jobs instead of begging for them. Whoa, Raymond. It makes perfect sense. You just have to open up your mind to... Stop. Stop. The Coalition can't bid on that job. It's a major contract. Sure we can. It's public information.
00:04:23
Speaker
That contract is open to everyone to build. You don't know anything about primary contracts. Who rebuilt Welton Street? The Coalition did. All of it from the top to the bottom. I did that. We've got the experience and now we've got the opportunity. Thanks to you.
00:04:42
Speaker
You made this all possible. No one's gonna forget that. It's more important than that. A future of our own. Do we? We have an opportunity for real change to happen. Yes, we do. By being leaders, not contractors. Affecting the rules, the politics. See? You do know what sententious means. How do you expect to be able to underbid them?
00:05:03
Speaker
You can't look down on your own people anymore, Malcolm. Even if you had the resources, you don't know the market. We're breaking the mark. You being over your head. And that's where you come in. You're
Revolutionary vs. Traditional Approaches
00:05:15
Speaker
talking about competing with my father. Yes, I am. Free enterprise, Malcolm. Your great equalizer.
00:05:26
Speaker
If you can put together a competitive bid for us, plus the fact that it's a HUD project, the Coalition is a shoo-in. Couple that with the fact that we are entirely minority owned and it's ours. Steal a contract from my own father? No way. This is what you want!
00:05:44
Speaker
You and me working together, leading the way for the people of Five Points. I want my dad's company and the coalition to do it together so everyone benefits. But that's a slow bus strike, Malcolm. I'm talking about a revolution. I should have listened. You can listen now. You're a loser, Raymond. You were a loser back then, and you haven't changed. You're still a loser. No, Malcolm. I'm not.
00:06:14
Speaker
Not anymore. From the moment I stepped into this place, you've been working me. No. You've been working me.
00:06:21
Speaker
But we are not afraid. 20 years ago you had your chance to be a man and you failed. We are not afraid.
Discussing Deep Personal Conflicts
00:06:29
Speaker
I'm not playing your game. You have no right to ask me to do this. I've got every right. And we are not afraid. You didn't even think about me. You only care about yourself just like now. The choices I made back then were the best for both of us.
00:06:45
Speaker
Just like the choice I'm asking you to make now. The O'Brien's cared for me. They didn't know me, but they took me in and raised me. They took up your slack. Yes, they did. You could have kept me. Don't ever confuse my giving you what with my wanting to. I gave over my son. You had a choice. It was no choice at all. I won't let you punish them. Malcolm, wait.
00:07:12
Speaker
Please. What? There's nothing else to say. Malcolm, we are not afraid. I won't do it. You know, you understand. You remember. Stop framing. Please. You're a leader, a black leader. My blackness isn't like yours.
00:07:28
Speaker
Yes, it is. It doesn't define me. It does. It's your skin, Malcolm. It's just like mine. It's thin, and I won't let it restrict me. Then let it guide you. In the end, it doesn't mean anything. My actions do. No more handouts from Kenneth O'Brien. They've got us this far, but now we're on our own, and my family
Exchange on Fear and Identity
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Speaker
loses. Well, somebody's got to, and we've been losing for way too long. I don't want it like this. I lost a son.
00:07:58
Speaker
They gained one. But we are not afraid. I can't. Help me. We are not afraid. Daddy. Please. It's alright. I'm scared. It's not a goodbye. Don't let me go. It's okay.
00:08:16
Speaker
We are not afraid. Don't leave me. I'm not leaving you, son. I'm not leaving you. No. We are not afraid. Please don't leave me. Please. We are not afraid. I don't want to. Say it and know that it's true. We are not afraid. Yes. That's right.
Reflecting on Spirituality and Future Journey
00:08:38
Speaker
We are not afraid because God is with us. Because God is with us.
00:08:47
Speaker
Every moment, Malcolm from this point forward is going to be just as arduous as the ones before. But we go forward. I remember those words. Yes. I remember you saying that to me. I remember.
00:09:10
Speaker
Your plan has always been to do what's best for Five Points, right? To invest everything in this community, not charity, but resources and opportunity, right or wrong? Yes. Okay.
00:10:18
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, yeah