My father, and the janitor. After 38 years, he retired a full partner. Less than a week...
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Andrew Sterling:
You ever been to New York City? Amos Odell:
Uh-uh. Andrew Sterling:
I grew up in New York. We lived in a nice part of Harlem. When I was 12, I came home one day with some friends. We were talking loudly and using the slang we'd learned in the streets. My Father overheard us. He told my friends to leave. Then he marched me into the bathroom and washed my mouth out with soap. It was because he didn't want me sounding black. He was an educated man, my father. He had a college degree, just like his father. He was an accountant, just like his father. He worked for a big New York firm. There were only two black men in the whole building: my father, and the janitor. After 38 years, he retired a full partner. Less than a week later, he died. Not one person from that job came to his funeral. 38 years of his life, and not one white face. Only that broken down old janitor cared enough to show up. My father made it in the white man's world. He wanted his son to make in the white man's world, too. But don't you for one second think that I've forgotten who I am, or where I come from
You ever been to New York City? Amos Odell:
Uh-uh. Andrew Sterling:
I grew up in New York. We lived in a nice part of Harlem. When I was 12, I came home one day with some friends. We were talking loudly and using the slang we'd learned in the streets. My Father overheard us. He told my friends to leave. Then he marched me into the bathroom and washed my mouth out with soap. It was because he didn't want me sounding black. He was an educated man, my father. He had a college degree, just like his father. He was an accountant, just like his father. He worked for a big New York firm. There were only two black men in the whole building: my father, and the janitor. After 38 years, he retired a full partner. Less than a week later, he died. Not one person from that job came to his funeral. 38 years of his life, and not one white face. Only that broken down old janitor cared enough to show up. My father made it in the white man's world. He wanted his son to make in the white man's world, too. But don't you for one second think that I've forgotten who I am, or where I come from
Full Transcript
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He worked for a big new york firm
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There were only 2 black men in the whole building
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My father
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And the janitor
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After 38 years
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He retired a full partner
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Less than a week later
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He died
00:00:25.225 --> 00:00:27.492
Not one person from that job
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Came to his funeral
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38 years of his life
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And not one white face
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Only that broken down old janitor
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Cared enough to show up
00:00:41.741 --> 00:00:44.671
My father made it in the white man's world
00:00:44.677 --> 00:00:46.207
He wanted his son to make it
00:00:46.212 --> 00:00:49.548
In the white man's world too
00:00:49.549 --> 00:00:52.649
But don't you for one second
00:00:52.652 --> 00:00:55.721
Think that I've forgotten who I am
00:00:55.722 --> 00:00:59.658
Or where I come from
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Movie Summary
A Pulitzer prize writer buys a cabin. The neighbors get suspicious when a stranger "breaks in". They see a black man and call the police, who start shooting at him. The sheriff tries a cover-up involving a white petty crook. Bad i...
Actors
Andrew Sterling
Amos Odell
