The Martin Agenda
A 1956 negro college student from Tallahassee, Fl gains national attention after she raises 1 million dollars for the Martin Agend and the DNC and uses the Tallahassee Bus Boycotts of '57 and as fuel to start her own revolution towards racial freedom and equality. There was only one purpose, one agenda.
6/11/1963 John F Kennedy Civil Rights Adress
Tallahassee, Florida. Palmetto Street 2:15 pm Friday, May 25th, 1956
Two Famu College students are waiting in the sun for the city transit. A car passes by blaring black rock music. The driver of the vehicle, a college student, and a woman catch their eyes. Brakes squeal, a city bus door opens and the two women step onboard. music plays in the background...play music & continue reading...
i'm BAD
Girl, who was that and where can I sign up? Girl, you can have him. He isn't anything but a dumb college jock with a bunch of black ideas that he thinks gonna change the world. Oh yeah? Like what kind of ideas?
Ladies take your seat, shouts the bus conductor.
What seats? Do you mean the one with holes, tears, and vomit stains?
Girl what are you doing, you know this is the white section. Get up before...
The bus slows down. Ladies take your seat at the back of the bus or ill pull this bus over and call dispatch shouts the bus conductor.
See! Get up before we go to jail and embarrass our parents who are paying for our college education.
The patrons exuberantly clap and cheer. Ze'lourie lets off a devious smile and proceeds toward the back of the bus with willa-mae.
Something gotta change willa-mae. I can't keep silent. A stop sign is silent but has an agenda and purpose. I need purpose, Will-Mae. Maybe god has plans for this day, so you're right. Not today willa-mae.
Thank god says willa-mae.
The bus drives off with a cloud of dark smoke lingering behind.
KKK Cross Burning Early Sunday Morning
Knock Pound Knock. Three hard pounds on Ze'lourie's door wake her from sleep. A thick white cloud of smoke pulls toward the opened door.
Willa-Mae burst into the room shouting,
The burning of a cross on campus is happening now!
They did it! Somebody did it Ze'lourie T. Booker. The Klu Klan is burning down our campus!
Get up! The two ladies quickly scramble down the stairway and stand in awe.
What happened, says Ze'lourie in a confused tone.
Police sirens and firetrucks are echoing in the background. The camera pulls back to show the shadow of the two ladies in front of the fiery cross burning meshed with blue and red lights flickering.
SUNDAY AFTERNOON STUDENT HALL
A bulb flickers, an electric short sound buzzes, the auditorium is silent, then, a newspaper is slammed on a desk. Slam! Dust scurries left and right. The camera pans up from the newspaper to the President of the college's face.
Yesterday, here at our Black Insitute of higher learning, we created a page in America's history. For some, you might say, how was a cross burning on our College Campus a win for our people? Others might say, President, we need to respond swiftly with violence, or contact our President for security.
Ze'lourie leans over and asks Emma a question
What did you mean when you said " they did it"
to which Emma responds angrily with
"be quiet, just wait"
On Saturday, May 26th, 1956, two of our college students defied racial inequality by denying to be seated at the back of the city transit service, prompting their arrest and the burning of a cross on their front lawn last night.
"See," says Emma as she aggressively elbows Ze'lourie's right rib.
The crowd is appalled with shock, disbelief, and worry
The NAACP has brought in a team of specialists to look into this ongoing investigation and as we know so far, this has just made national news. We advise our students to stay inside their dorms until further notice, as we adjust our campus security to ensure the safety of our Brightest and smartest Stars.
We will start the debate on which we will determine teo things: to dissolve our business with the transit service of Tallahassee, or continue to ride on their segregated bus.
Tonight we have imposed a curfew of 9 pm. but please join us in the cafeteria now, for lunch and prayer.
Thank You,
HEARTBREAK HOTEL
the parking lot 8:50 pm outside the dorm, there is a large gathering forming.
Ok students yell the student liaison of Palmetto dorm. It's eight-fifty, ya'll know what that means. Ten minutes left til curfew. Let's get these boys and hot rods out of here and get some rest. We had an exciting day today. Long days are upon us.
Elvis? Boy, what do you know about Elvis? says Ze'lourie.
Elvis is black. Do you see his moves? How fine, I run into you again ms?
Boy, I don't know you. And it's pronounced Ms. Booker. Ze'lourie T. Booker laughs
Wow, that's powerful says Ladious
And you might be?
Ladious Scott Le'Moure, at your service madam, future brain surgeon of whatever hospital accepts smart colored boys who like Saturdays in the park.
the two laughs as Ze'lourie leans against Ladious car.
So that was you from the bus stop, blasting Bo Diddley? Some folks call you a dumb jock.
Good eye, yes I am
Well, some folks can't accept the fact that quality will always win against quantity. says Ladious with contempt
Well, some folks need to be getting back to their side of the University because it's 9:01 pm. and curfew is in effect Mr. brain surgeon.
Awe, don't be cruel Ms. Booker pleads Ladious.
Ze'lourie walks away with a smile, Ladious shouts
let's do dinner on me tomorrow, I'll pick you up here at five pm sharp.
FOOLS IN LOVE
as Ladious is waiting in his car listening to the radio, his dinner date Ze'lourie storms past him. The time is 5:45 pm Ze'lourie is 45 minutes late. play the music and read along
Hey! shouts Ladious
Wait! Ladious jumps from his ride and grabs Ze'lourie by her arm.
What's the matter with you, where are you going? he says in a worried tone.
Away from here, away from being black, just away she cries out
Ladious attempts to wipe a tear off the cheek of Ze'lourie, but she pulls backward, for there is a terrible bruise on her right cheek.
With tears falling from her eyes, Ze'lourie lets out a vicious scream. Ladious stares in disbelief.
I need to go says Ze'lourie. My agenda and purpose are no longer in Tallahassee. God is calling me north to accomplish his mission for the freedom of our people. I have fallen in love with the belief and idea that freedom will prevail for my people. Might I be an anxious fool for such a heinous crime, called love?
His loved leaked from his heart when he spoke to the student body.
What? says Ze'lourie
DEVIL OR ANGEL?
He said his agenda was for for the colored, the economically disadvantaged and the victims of social injustice. He continued to push the topic on non-voilence protest. I swear Ze' I've never heard of anyone willing to be beaten without retaliation for a belief in something unimaginable, like racial and social equality.
So I say this to you Ze'lourie, you're only considered a fool if you don't chase love, and you love freedom, so I'm going with you to chase freedom.
But what about your studies and school Ze'lourie says timidly
Ladious starts the engine the radio plays softly in the background.
Shchool can wait. The revolution cannot. So, where are we going Ms. Booker?
To a place where black folks are changing the world!
And where shall that be?
Car pulls from the parking lot [widescreen shot,] with playing music, camera slowly pans upward in center of the street, passing over the top of car to a blinking buzzing street light.
fade to black
Stay tuned for episode 2...coming soon
Film Disclamer: The story, names, characters and incidents portrayed in this production are fictional. Some events are based on true incidents, however this story is not a true depiction of the actual event as some stories have been modified for entertainment purposes only. Any resemblance to people living or dead is purely coincidental and If the depiction of certain journalistic practices should have resulted in similarities with the practices of the our production, these similarities are neither intended but inevitable.
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