Step (2017) Movie Script
1
REPORTER 1: The streets of
Baltimore are tense tonight.
Violent protestors
overran parts of the city
this afternoon,
attacking police,
looting stores...
REPORTER 2: The charge of
six officers
in the case of Freddie Gray,
who died after being
in police custody,
and at the center
of the story...
STEPHANIE RAWLINGS-BLAKE:
This is one of
our darkest days as a city
and I know that
we are much better than this.
COACH G:
Attention! Attention!
(FEET STOMPING)
GIRLS: (CHANTING)
You may think you may know,
but there's one thing
that's for sure.
That the Lethal Ladies
of BLSYW
are the ones you can't resist.
Sisterhood and integrity,
you mess with my sister
and you mess with me.
We step with soul,
we step with pride.
Lethal Ladies
till the day we die.
(INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS)
Come on, ladies.
(SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY)
(OVERLAPPING CONVERSATIONS)
(BELL RINGING)
COACH G: All right. Okay.
-Hello, everyone.
-GIRLS: Hi.
I'm Gari.
I'm the new step coach.
Did you all hear
you got a new step coach?
Y'all can call me Coach G.
You good with that?
I'm a first-generation
college student.
I'm the only person
in my family who has a degree.
I live on Gilmor Street,
where Freddie Gray
was murdered,
so I'm very well-rounded with
what goes on
out in these streets.
I want everyone to
introduce themselves to me.
Tell me why
you like to step.
My name is Amanda Leonard.
I like to step
because it's empowering.
It's a form of art
that brings us all together.
I can express myself
in different ways during step
and this is also
my side hustle
because I don't do hair
or makeup.
-(LAUGHING)
-(SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY)
I like to step because
it's a passion of mine,
I'm good at it
and I like to see
our ideas come to life.
Step is life.
-COACH G: Step is life.
-Yes.
COACH G:
Five, six, seven, eight.
BLESSIN: Sometimes
I feel like I just go
somewhere else when I step.
It's like therapy
a little bit.
Like you up there
screaming and yelling
and faces and muggin'
and steppin' like you just
stomping your life away.
Throwing your hair everywhere.
You clappin'.
Got all your friends around,
you know? Just like...
We makin' music
with our bodies.
Like, that's some slick stuff.
That's slick though, ain't it?
That's slick.
COACH G:
One more time, ladies.
BLESSIN: Step is a complete
getaway for me.
Like a complete erase
from home.
My community
is pretty poisonous,
I'm not even gonna lie.
It feels good to know that,
like, you and your teammates
are all on the same page
and that you're just
moving as one.
I started the step team
in sixth grade
and over the years,
we got good,
but last year,
everything just fell apart.
I missed about 53 days
of school
and my grades didn't meet
the GPA requirement,
so I was kicked off
the step team.
We lost
every competition that year.
Ladies, that was good!
That was on point.
But that was last year,
right?
What's up this year?
We taking it
to the next level, right?
Y'all ready?
I want them to understand
that this is way bigger
than stepping.
It's about
not making excuses
making sacrifices,
having a positive attitude.
I know it gets tough.
We're in Baltimore City.
They come home
to no lights,
come home to violence
in their neighborhood,
not having food
in the refrigerator,
not having
a refrigerator at all.
But when they come to
step practice,
all those things are erased
out of their mind.
So that is why
they can succeed.
'Cause they can
make it through step practice,
so they can make it
through life.
(INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS)
(SINGING INDISTINCTLY)
In exactly 274 days,
we will graduate
our first twelfth-grade class.
We have an entire city
that's waiting for the power
that we will unleash.
PAULA:
My mission is to make sure
each and every one of you
from sixth grade
through twelfth grade
is accepted to
and graduates from college.
This is just
the beginning
of a litany of success
and greatness
that will be
the grand history
of the Baltimore Leadership
School for Young Women.
Ah! I was such a cute child.
What happened?
I don't know why my mother
made us pose like this
at every school picture.
Like, look at that gut!
I remember this year.
-Mmm-hmm.
-(GENEVA SPEAKING)
That's Briona being baptized.
I loved that church.
I loved that church so much.
Grace Bible Baptist
on Rolling Road.
They taught...
(SINGING) Oh, down by the river
GENEVA:
Down by the river
I took a little walk
I took a little walk
I met up with the Devil
I met up with the Devil
We had a little talk
We had a little talk
I pushed him in the river
I pushed him in the river
And I hung him on the line
And I hung him on the line
I said,
we can beat the Devil
We can beat the Devil
Any old time
That was like
the best song ever.
Now you see how they had me
steppin' on the church bus
before I was
even steppin'.
I was like,
you could count on me, like,
Brother Jerry's like,
"Keep the beat, Blessin!"
"Keep the beat!"
Like, I got that beat.
This is my father.
He drew this of himself
when he had a lot of time
to just draw.
GENEVA:
I tried to do the best that I could
with raising my girls
as basically a single parent,
because their father and I...
Well, their father and I
do better
when we're not
in the same household.
I'll put it like that.
Yeah.
BLESSIN:
Is this my handwriting?
(LAUGHS) Oh, I remember this.
"The Frankenstein."
(READING) "This is a story
by Blessin. 4-2-2003."
(READING) "One day, a spooky
monster came into the night
"to kill the woman
that break up with him.
"Her door bust open
"and Frankenstein
bust in the house
"and made
something go like boom!"
(GENEVA SPEAKING)
You know, a family coordinator
asked me what was that about.
BLESSIN: What was going on
in your house?
It's just that when you hear,
"Boom!" you know to zoom!
-You know what I'm sayin'?
-(FAMILY LAUGHING)
It go boom.
(GENEVA SPEAKING)
We would fight.
We would fight.
I'm a fighter, you know?
Once, I saw it was like a black-out.
And I just heard
Brittany and Brooke behind me screaming,
"Mommy don't kill him".
Because I had him
pinned down
and I was literally
choking him out.
And then I said no.
I'm not going to do it.
You know, somebody has to back down in
order to keep the sanity about you, so I left.
And I stayed in transitional housing
for 22 months. Me and my children.
Probably had depression
since I was a teenager.
My children know.
They know when I'm depressed,
they know
when I'm worried, you know.
And they'd be very concerned
about me.
Mmm-hmm.
(COACH G SHOUTS)
(CHANTING)
You know you like it.
CORI:
I'm kind of an introvert.
I'm not very dramatic.
But all those parts come out
of me when I step.
I'm just everything
that step is not.
COACH G: Y'all take
a ten-minute break.
5:40 come back.
(SQUEALING)
CORI: So, since sixth grade,
I've really been working
super-hard
to graduate top of my class,
because my dream school
is Johns Hopkins University.
Hopkins costs about $60,000
per year in tuition and
I don't have $60,000
per year for tuition
so I'm hoping to get
a full ride.
Wait, did you all
wash your hands first?
-Yes.
-No.
TRIANA: I got half yeses
and half nos.
CORI: I have
six siblings, so,
my parents aren't gonna have
enough money
to send me to school
for four years,
especially not at Hopkins.
Taylor said
the soup is delicious.
Who the bomb?
Who's the woman?
Who makes great soup?
Yeah, baby!
BROTHER: Cori, what's this?
CORI: It's called coding.
You make a secret code
to make pictures.
BROTHER: Stay still, Taylor.
You want to make a bunny?
-TAYLOR: A bunny?
-Hmm?
Wanna make a bunny?
Yes.
So if I make it 300,
his ear will be gone.
(GIGGLES)
CORI: It's really important
for my mom
to see her kids
do well in life, in school.
My mom didn't go to college
because she didn't really
have anybody
who was there to support her
through the process.
And she also had me
when she was 16.
TRIANA: Isn't this crazy?
'Cause you have
a Mickey Mouse blanket.
Yes. My room
was Mickey Moused-out!
You were six months old
with your mom
and her
Mickey Moused-out room.
(LAUGHS) And this was
my Junior Prom.
I was 15,
I was in the 10th grade
and my stepfather asked me,
he said,
"So what are you gonna do?"
And I said, "What do you mean,
what am I gonna do?
"I'm keeping my baby."
It was easy
because her father,
we worked together
really well.
With both of us working
and both of us
having our own cars
even though we were young,
it was just easy with her.
CORI: My mom is like...
(CHUCKLES)
A magic wand in human form.
I never had to worry about
where my next meal
would come from,
or where would
we be staying.
At one point
we were homeless
and I actually
didn't even know it.
Hey, Shane,
can I have a kiss?
Shelton and I, we have not
been married a year yet.
And so, we are just kind of
getting into the flow
and groove
of this whole
blended family life
and wife and husband life.
We are still not
in a place financially
where we can just pay
our bills.
And when the money
is not in place,
everything else
is like downhill.
Five, six, five,
six, seven, eight.
(RAPPING INDISTINCTLY)
Last year, we went to
a lot of step competitions
and we didn't win first place
in any of them.
And I feel like this year
is our time for redemption.
And I feel like
people are actually
gonna want to work hard
to get the rewards
that we deserve.
Left, right, clap, here.
COACH G: We have a big year
ahead of us,
the biggest competition
is Bowie State.
Bowie is a competition
for the DMV.
That's DC,
Maryland and Virginia.
There's never been a team
from Baltimore
who has came out there
and won.
(INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS)
(CHANTING)
BLESSIN:
If we win Bowie, like...
Jesus!
If we win Bowie, like,
we gonna let them know,
like, man, we from Baltimore,
like, whatcha all talking
about up here in Bowie?
Oh!
(INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS)
PAULA: We're gonna talk about
what your options are.
So today is reality check.
These grades,
this overall 1.1 GPA
from ninth
through eleventh grade,
is not indicative
of who you are.
So this is the time
when you pass by my office
and I'm giving you
the side-eye, this is why.
You hid from me last year.
It's okay, you can say
you didn't but you did.
My absence was bad,
so Blessin hid from herself.
"Blessin hid from herself."
Well, I'm glad, we're glad
to see Blessin. Okay?
I'm aiming for all A's
this quarter. All A's.
And we're here to help you
and support you to do that.
Now, the biggest piece
is our parent night
for seniors.
-My mom has to be here?
-Yes.
We've had some situations
in the past
getting in touch with mom,
getting mom to come.
In fact, you know,
I've never met your mother
in three years.
What can we do because
I need her as part of
this process,
because the financial pieces,
you cannot do.
Well...
You know, usually I...
I don't know.
So I had
my academic meeting
with Ms. Dofat today,
our college advisor.
GENEVA: Mmm-hmm.
You really don't know her
that much.
I've met her.
You think I forget stuff,
but I remember Ms. Dofat.
I remember things
you tell me.
BLESSIN: Okay. Well,
she gave me my transcript
and some possible colleges
I could be attending
if I get a certain GPA
this year.
(GENEVA SPEAKS)
Which are?
Oh, Allegany, FI and, um, it was one more.
I took notes on it,
but here you go.
What's this about Allegany?
Isn't that closer to us?
Yeah, it's not that far,
you can drive there.
I know you want to go away
for school,
but I don't want you too far
from me, you know?
BLESSIN: I'll be a phone call away.
I'm ready to go!
BRITTANY: Go, girlfriend!
Share your talents
with the world.
You ready to
eat anything yet?
GENEVA: I went to college
for a while.
I didn't graduate.
I stopped after two years
because I had problems
with math
and I would always withdraw
just before the grades
would come out
and I would always get
the incomplete on my grades.
And eventually I stopped going
and then you look up
10 years later, you say,
"Wow, you should've stayed."
Mmm-hmm.
That's me.
So, yeah, on the 24th,
Ms. Dofat said that
you need to
come to the school for a meeting.
GENEVA: What's this meeting
gonna be about?
BLESSIN: So I can get
financial aid.
To see what kind of grants
you'll qualify for?
I will be there
and not be square.
(INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS)
COACH G: Plie.
However, it's like this.
Hold up. Coach.
Come on.
Hold your arms
straight out.
Oh, my God.
This is ridiculous.
(TAYLA SPEAKING)
I'm like a notch down
from Beyonc because I do still mess up.
Beyonc don't mess up.
Well, even if she do,
she, like, pull it off so good
and I just don't
even notice it.
COACH G: All right, let's
do it one more time
then we're gonna go on
to something different.
-Five, six seven, eight.
-GIRLS: (CHANTING)
We are the lovely ladies
of LLOB.
Unlike these imitators,
we are so unique.
We started our steppin'
just seven years ago
and ever since then
we've been rockin' the show.
MAISHA: It has become
a daily routine.
It's in my schedule.
Work, step, home.
I've watched
all of these girls grow up
so I don't only go for her,
Tayla, I go for everybody.
I would love to have had
a big family
and lots of children,
but that wasn't my calling.
My calling
was to have one as I did.
Hello? Hello?
COACH G: Good!
The queen is waiting.
COACH G: Now look around.
"Hello? Hello?"
NUSH: Hello?
The queen is waiting.
(MAISHA SHOUTING)
(BLESSIN LAUGHING)
Hello?
The queen is waiting.
There it is.
One more time.
BOTH: Hello? Hello?
NUSH: The queen is waiting.
MAISHA: There it is.
That's what's gonna get.
Thank you.
(INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS)
(SINGING) My daddy Alabama
Momma Louisiana
You mix that negro
with that Creole
make a Texas bama
TAYLA: My mother is annoying.
She can take it overboard
and have too much fun,
like she's 17 or 18.
And I'm just like,
"Mom, you gotta
chill sometimes."
She'll be like,
"What? I'm just having fun!"
And I'm just, like,
"Okay, you're embarrassing me
but whatever."
Oh, my gosh!
Why would you ever do that?
REPORTER: (ON TV)
In other news,
the trials for
the six officers charged
in Freddie Gray's death
are back on the docket.
And today, expect it to be finalized.
Here's a look at the order now.
Officer Edward Nero's trial
is scheduled
for May 10th,
after that the driver.
When I was coming up,
the police
were my biggest heroes.
I grew up
in northwest Baltimore.
You had officer friendlies.
They would walk the beat,
they would come to school,
talk to you.
And that's why I wanted my job
as a correctional officer.
And I love my job.
I love it.
Some deserve to be there
and some don't.
A lot of our children
are lost.
They have no one.
And I feel as though
it's my obligation
and my civic duty
to help them.
(SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY)
(INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS)
We must remember that
college is a business.
So where do I
fit financially?
'Cause some of these colleges
are outrageous.
I don't know
anybody's financial situation,
but I seriously doubt
that the average American
has $40,000 or $50,000
sitting around
in their bank account,
waiting to be written
to a college.
Yes?
TRIANA: The part
that scares me
is me not being there
enough for Cori.
(VOICE BREAKING) That's
overwhelmingly scary for me.
I feel like I won't be enough
support for her.
PAULA: And we're gonna
make it through it, okay?
You're fabulous.
Come here, mama. (LAUGHS)
(INDISTINCT CONVERSATION)
BLESSIN: When my mom didn't
show up for parent night,
I'm not gonna say that
I expected her to be there,
but when I actually
seen her not show up,
I was just thinking, like,
"Okay, she promised me
she'd be here.
"Where is she?"
PAULA: Once again,
thank you so much.
If you have any questions,
I'll be happy to answer them.
PAULA: What's going to happen
now, you know the next step,
February 11th
is your interview.
You're there to make sure
that Cori is a good fit
for University of Maryland
and also that
University of Maryland
is a good fit for Cori.
Barnard, I'm not concerned
about you getting accepted.
They would be crazy
if they didn't accept you.
And not because
I like you so much,
but because of
your credentials.
I think there's no reason
that you shouldn't
be accepted.
The situation is gonna come
in the money piece.
I'm pretty sure there are
gonna be loans on there.
I don't like the L word.
-I know. I know.
-(CHUCKLES)
If you ended up
with a total $5,000
in loans per year
for your four years,
I know that's $20,000,
but it's really
not a lot of money
in the sense of
what people come out owing.
Your face says no, I get that.
CORI: My stepdad
just lost his job
and it's like bills and bills
and bills and bills.
It's not the first time
the power has been off.
It happens.
I don't know, like, for me,
well, for my family, like,
the idea of comfortability
has been like cyclical.
Like, it's on and off.
It's on and off.
And it's really frustrating
to live like that
because as soon
as you get comfortable,
it seems like
one thing goes bad.
Then when one thing goes bad,
everything else
goes bad and like...
I don't know...
I don't want to have to live
like this
and I don't want my family
to have to live like this.
So I'm gonna work my hardest
to make it not happen
in my life.
(SNIFFLING)
MS. THOMPSON:
We are gonna do
one last presentation
for today.
And that will be Blessin
and Quanshe.
Once the Supreme Court
brought attention
to the Fourteenth Amendment
equal protection law,
public schools were forced
to desegregate its facilities.
Next slide, please.
So, this is shown where
the desegregation
was required.
As you can see, that's in
a lot of the southern states.
Any questions?
GIRL: What's the difference
between this and the KKK?
The KKK aligned
and further pushed
that movement
towards violence
because they actually went out
at night in hooded cloaks
and actually abused
and attacked African Americans
while they were already
being suppressed, uh,
economically and socially.
Round of applause
for the ladies.
(CLASS APPLAUDS)
(TEACHER SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY)
BLESSIN: Oh, they sell cool
strips of color in the front.
They have like
little bundles of color.
See, but if I did go
platinum blonde,
I'm gonna go all the way.
NAYSA: I thought you were
going regular blonde.
BLESSIN: No,
I'm gonna go platinum.
(HAIR BLOWER WHIRRING)
(BLESSIN SPEAKS)
You want your hair to look
like Martin Luther King.
(CHUCKLES) Malcolm X.
(LAUGHS)
BLESSIN: Okay,
if you all were alive back in the day,
would you be with Malcolm X
or the MLK movement?
I'd probably be
with Malcolm.
BLESSIN: I think
I would be with Martin.
I mean, like,
I would have some homeboys
that would be
Black Panthers
so if anybody ever
spit in my face,
I could call up
my squad.
Hard work is what really makes
you somebody that's great.
Somebody that should
really go down.
DOMONIQUE: Kim Kardashian
didn't do a damn thing.
Kim Kardashian isn't great.
Kim Kardashian is pretty.
You just gotta work
twice as hard.
And I'm willing to work.
That's the way you have to get
what you want in life.
BLESSIN:
I have a lot of dreams.
Maybe I dream too much.
(CHUCKLES)
I'm passionate
about dancing and step
and choreographing everything.
I fell in love
when I seen the movie Chicago.
Like, just the way they move.
I'm just, like,
I can do that.
I can show people
how to do that.
COACH G: I need y'all
to really listen to this song
and really think of ways
that y'all can make the beat.
All right, here we go.
Listen.
(UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING)
BLESSIN: I'm good
with rhythms, like...
I'm always the one like, boom,
tap, tap, boom, tap, tap.
Like with my mouth,
that's how I remember steps.
You need to have
certain people on the floor
laid down
in this position
and we need to have
some people like this.
(VOCALIZING) Step.
Now we step.
Now we step.
COACH G: Yes! Yes!
BLESSIN: Then the dance part.
-Like levels, right?
-Yep.
BLESSIN:
It's like a four-count...
COACH G: We're gonna
do those two moves.
COACH G: She stands out.
She's the one
who comes up with things,
like, out of nowhere.
Like,
Blessin the visionary.
When you see her step,
she's the one
who your eyes
go directly to.
Because her heart is in it.
(CHANTING) Lethal!
COACH G: Wrong leg.
(CHANTING) Ladies!
ALL: (CHANTING)
Come on, Freddie Gray,
I got the victory,
the victory.
Because the devil is defeated
and God be praised.
I got the victory,
the victory.
(CHANTING CONTINUES)
COACH G: Attention, please!
This is a expo.
We're here to learn,
enhance, grow, move forward.
I know you all
want to take down the Lady Raiders.
Yes.
And this expo is the expo
that the Lady Raiders
and the Boy Raiders go to
to enhance their step show.
I need y'all to work
on your facial expressions.
I want you to imagine yourself
the most elegant woman
on earth.
But she steps hard
and with confidence.
You gonna watch me step.
Actually, I'm gonna
make you watch me step.
I'm gonna get my step,
is gonna get up in your grill.
I'm gonna take you
by your neck
and you gonna watch me
do what I do.
That's what
you're supposed to project
every time you get
in front of somebody.
That's what you step on.
If you not steppin' on that,
sit down, go home, good night.
So, stand at attention
and give me that face.
Let's, let's, let's,
let's get this step off
started right!
GIRLS: (CHANTING)
Ay, ay, whoo!
'Cause you don't want it.
Let's get it started!
'Cause you don't want it.
(LORA LAUGHS)
(ALL LAUGHING)
LORA: They on fire,
aren't they?
They on fire! Come on!
PAULA: Today,
college application day.
So we have a lot to do,
a lot to accomplish.
Ladies, we are gonna
get it done today.
Do you have
an account already?
Account? No.
(SINGING) Baby, I'm worth it
Her GPA could be
a little bit higher.
We just had
this conversation.
Our first impression
is very important.
And we only get
how many chances
to make
a first impression? One.
In the club with the lights off
Whatchu acting shy for?
PAULA: Your degree
can say NYU.
Your degree can say Spelman.
Your degree can say
anything you want it to say.
CORI: I have an email about
paying the enrollment fee.
Ooh, I don't
like that number.
(CHANTING)
My college application
just erased. It erased twice.
The entire thing.
Give it to me, I'm worth it
It's all on you
it's all on you
And tell her to bring
her taxes, bring the W-2's.
Did you work in 2015?
You have to find
$40,000 for yourself.
I spoke with you
about Blessin Giraldo.
We were waiting for
her mid-year grades.
They're gonna be
so much better
than what
we sent to you already.
Make it happen tonight because
I don't put my name out there
for no reason.
And I put my name out there.
Don't make me look crazy.
(INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS)
You made the honor roll?
I knew you could do it.
-NAYSA: Yeah, Blessin!
-(APPLAUDING)
BLESSIN: Anatomy
and physiology, 83.
Foundations of Technology,
a 95. (CHUCKLES)
In English, I have a 72,
but, like, I worked
very hard for that 72.
No assignments late,
no assignments missing.
So, you know,
just gonna try new tactics
and aim better
for quarter two.
This is the lady that
is getting me into college.
BLESSIN: Seeing my mom
at school was...
It was a big deal for me,
you know.
I don't know
what she went through
that morning to get up,
or what she was even thinking
entering the building.
She's trying.
She is and I can see it.
(PAULA SPEAKING)
I'm so pleased to meet you.
I'm going to tell you, I love this girl.
She works my last nerve
but I love this girl.
She's gonna be amazing.
We just gotta wrangle her.
So anything you and I can do
to partner on that,
I would appreciate it.
-And Michelle.
-PAULA: No, all of us.
Because it's gonna take
a team, village, a country,
whatever it's gonna take,
we gonna do that.
MICHELLE: We've been
working on it.
All right. Okay, thank you,
it was really nice to meet you.
I appreciate it.
NAJIA: (CHANTING) Hands up!
GIRLS: Don't shoot!
NAJIA: Hands up!
GIRLS: Don't shoot!
NAJIA: Hands up!
GIRLS: Don't shoot!
NAJIA: Say it loud!
ALL: I'm black
and I'm proud.
COACH G: The Bowie competition
is at the end of the year
and we're working
towards that.
But in the meantime,
we got invited
to the Baltimore High School
Step Show.
This is the first time that
the girls have stepped with
other girls from Baltimore.
We can pick whatever theme
that we want to do.
So my theme is going to be
Black Lives Matter.
(CHANTING) You need to stop,
look and listen.
COACH G: They start with
"Stop, Look and Listen" chant.
(CHANTING) 'Cause you're
about to witness...
COACH G: ...something
that is stupendous.
And then,
let's tell them who we are.
So we are the showstoppers,
(CONTINUES CHANTING)
...trailblazers, hit makers.
We are the show takers,
hip poppers, floor rockers.
COACH G: All right.
Last pose!
And then
they're doing this pose
where it's so powerful,
with their right fists up
showing that
black lives matter.
(COACH G COUNTING)
(INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS)
COACH G:
All right, so listen, guys.
First of all,
I wanted to show you guys
the importance
of these images back here
that symbolizes
how 40, 50, 60 years later,
we still have to protest
for our rights
as African Americans.
As women,
you guys are considered,
as women, we,
not you guys...
We are considered
the bottom of the barrel
as African-American women.
So when you all heard about
Freddie Gray, where were you?
GIRL: We were at school.
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
Did you all get a text
that you all were supposed to riot?
NAJIA: It was on Twitter.
GIRL: There was a lot of stuff
on social media.
I didn't like how they tried
to portray Baltimore, like,
it was like a lot of
bad stuff going on,
but when you'd put
on local news like WJZ,
people was cleaning up,
but CNN didn't showcase that.
They only showcased us
fighting and
throwing everything.
GIRL: CNN portrays us
as being bad.
Yeah, we're not like that.
COACH G: These are
little black girls
who are going to be
going to college
and they have been
at this small all-girls school
and they don't understand that
it's some people who won't
care about your life,
or some people
who don't understand
that you are valuable.
So you have to understand,
as young black women,
it could've been us,
it really could have been
you and it still can be.
(SIRENS BLARING IN DISTANCE)
(SINGING) Ain't got no troubles
in my life
No foolish dreams
to make me cry
I'm never frightened
or worried
I know I always get by
I heat up
I cool down
When something
gets in my way I go around it
I've got the music in me
I've got the music in me
I've got the music in me
I've got the music in me
I've got the music in me
I've got the music in me
Yes, I do down in my bones
I've got the music in me
Sure no better than me
I've got the music
Pretty, pretty, pretty,
pretty music
I've got the music in me
Yeah
Everybody's up for BLYS.
(AUDIENCE CHEERING)
(CHANTING) You need to stop,
look, and listen.
'Cause you're about
to witness
(AUDIENCE CHEERING)
something that
is stupendous.
Let's tell them who we are.
We are the trailblazers,
hit makers.
We are the show takers,
hip poppers, floor rockers.
We are the showstoppers.
Wanted all over the city,
and still sitting pretty.
(AUDIENCE CHEERING)
Let's go!
(AUDIENCE CHEERING)
(CHEERING CONTINUES)
Due to the deaths
of several unarmed
African-American men
and women,
it would be remiss of us
not to mention...
ALL: ...it could've been us.
(AUDIENCE CHEERING)
NAJIA: Hands up!
Don't shoot!
NAJIA: Hands up!
Don't shoot!
NAJIA: Say it loud!
I'm black and I'm proud.
(AUDIENCE CHEERING)
What are you doing?
Working on my application
for Barnard.
Oh.
Looks like
I have everything in.
CORI: I feel like anybody else
in this school
is just as capable of being
valedictorian as I am,
but I'm a very
competitive person.
Once I got the taste of,
like, being at the top,
I was like,
"Oh, I like this."
It's definitely my motivation
to keep my grades high.
CORI: You remember
what my EFC was from the FAFSA?
Your Expected
Family Contribution?
TRIANA: Oh, no,
I don't remember.
We can log on and see.
Most schools like Barnard
don't give out lots of money.
They're like
need-based aid.
And according to this FAFSA
we have a lot of need,
so they probably
would give a lot of money.
But you still have
to pay some money.
I just don't think
that's something
you should be
sweatin', period.
Don't worry about it.
If that's where you want to go,
we gonna make it happen
like we always do.
TRIANA: If you can
look us in the eyes
and tell us that
we don't come through
on the stuff
that's important,
then you have a reason
to be worried,
but you can't do that,
so you should have no worries.
Mmm-hmm.
Yeah. Mama hitting
on something now, huh? Yeah. (CHUCKLES)
Salt is more valuable
to some people than gold.
So a lot of the study
of economics is why do things have value?
(BELL RINGING)
I went to Allegany.
I like Allegany.
I know you do.
-I really like Allegany.
-I understand that,
but with Allegany,
when we did the calculation,
you're gonna be somewhere
around $20,000 a year.
That is, for me,
a two-year school, I think that's crazy.
If you can afford it,
that's one thing,
but I don't think
that's a great option.
It's a lot of money.
I mean, I do hair
and makeup and stuff,
you don't think I can, like...
Okay, Blessin, we will
get full information
like every other student,
see what financial
aid packages look like
and then we will
make the decision.
Unfortunately,
it's not my first choice.
BLESSIN: Uh-huh. Uh-huh.
Uh-huh. Uh-huh.
What you doing?
(TIYON GRUNTING)
-(TIYON EXCLAIMING)
-(BLESSIN MIMICKING TIYON)
BLESSIN: What you want,
a facial?
That's what
I'm about to do.
(LAUGHING) No.
(TIYON SPEAKING)
Ow, ow, ow. Stepped on glass.
(BLESSIN SPEAKING)
Let me see it.
Hold it.
(SINGING) N-E-P with
a little bit of H-N-E
W that spells my,
my nephew my nephew, my nephew
N-E-P
You ain't gonna sing it
with me?
Mmm-mmm.
(CHUCKLES)
BLESSIN: Tiyon,
did you eat anything yet?
I know when
the food gets here
I'm gonna start
eating like a gorilla like I always do.
BLESSIN: Well, we get
some food stamps
on the sixteenth,
so we be all right.
Tiyon!
What?
One minute your foot broken,
next minute you playin'.
As of right now,
it's no food in the 'frigerator.
I mean, I'm not eating,
that's fine as of right now,
like, I'm just waiting for
my sister to come home
so she can order something,
but he's six.
I mean, it's okay, though.
Just gotta make the best
out of what you have.
'Cause if I didn't,
I would be angry,
upset and a bitter person,
and I don't want to be
that type of person.
I just think of what
I go through, I just hold it there.
(VOICE BREAKING)
I'm sorry. Sorry.
(SNIFFLES) And I just
keep me going,
keep me going, make me
work harder and harder,
and put my all
into everything I'm doing,
because this is not it for me.
(SNIFFLES)
(MUSIC PLAYING ON RADIO)
COACH G: Why are you late?
You forgot your shirt.
You practice in the Uggs?
You practice in the Uggs?
You practice in the Uggs?
You forgot your shirt.
All right, so,
let's just say this.
If you forget your shirt,
your shoes, whatever, just don't even come.
'Cause I could surely
replace y'all.
Are we ready to start?
No.
GIRL: God! Christ!
COACH G: Do we need
to sit the wall?
I think we should.
That's a good way.
-(GIRLS DISAGREEING)
-Come on. Let's go!
One, two, three, down.
Up.
BLESSIN: Ah! Whoa.
Wait a minute!
One two, three, down.
(CHUCKLING)
-Everybody up.
-(SIGHS)
One, two, three, down.
Arms out.
Every time somebody goes down,
you all gonna stay longer.
Why you go down, Nush?
(ALL ARGUING)
COACH G: Excuse me,
is that how we encourage our teammates?
That's not teamwork.
That's not cool.
That's not sisterhood.
That's not integrity.
Yelling at Nush, yelling at each
other. That's not what winners do.
You gotta have the mindset.
The mindset of a winner.
Not being disrespectful
to each other, to yourselves.
This is step.
Handle your business.
And that's how you all gonna
handle it on this wall.
One, two, three, down.
They love step,
but their focus isn't winning.
I hope everyone
gets home safely.
You all have
a blessed night.
We have a competition
coming up at Bowie.
They've been twice already
and have not placed or won.
For the seniors, this is it.
And if they don't
straighten up and fly right,
it could fall apart.
Completely fall apart.
COACH G: See, if you all
wasn't talking, you all would've been ready.
You all need to practice
proper habits.
You all got lazy.
Do it again.
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
Coach!
Her report card looks like shit.
Oh, that's why.
Are you kidding me?
-Ooh, that's not good.
-Wait, wait. You mean, like...
-Come here, Tayla.
-Like C's?
I don't play 60s,
I don't play 70s
and I don't play 80s,
because that's not
the child that she is.
Absolutely, I agree.
Show your coach
what your grades look like.
(ASSISTANT COACH SPEAKING)
It's a sixty-six!
What was it again?
-What you say?
-Sixty-seven?
A what?
My daughter has never,
for as long as she's been going to school,
bring me no damn 60.
I don't tolerate that
in my house.
COACH G: It's something
that you're doing.
Is there something
that's distracting you?
I think it's the little friend
that she has now.
You don't need
to be distracted by anybody.
ASSISTANT COACH: 'Cause
all it takes is that one time.
COACH G: Friends, men,
that's all it takes.
You cannot let
nobody stop you.
They not really
rockin' with you
if they stopping you
-from getting what you need to get.
-(MAISHA SPEAKING)
And if you are still a virgin,
that's the way the hell you stay.
Because it's going
to be a problem.
-(ASSISTANT COACH CHUCKLING)
-(COACH G SPEAKING)
I'm going to let you go ahead
and let me talk to your mom for a second.
(MAISHA SPEAKING)
I really think
it's this little boy.
ASSISTANT COACH:
And it probably is! It probably is.
MAISHA: But she knows
her morals and values,
but sometimes
she gets sidetracked.
I said don't have no children
out of wedlock like me.
Because this is what
you're going to go through.
(COACH G SPEAKING)
Keep communicating.
Keep communicating.
(RHYTHMIC CLAPPING
AND STOMPING)
MAISHA: If you don't keep up your grades,
it's gonna be a problem.
Your goal is 4.0.
Nothing less.
So you don't let anyone stop you from
striving to get what you need to get.
Boys have cooties.
Stay away!
Oh, I left my spray
in the car.
BRIONA: I don't want my hair
to be sticky, you know?
See, now I'm stressing
'cause it's raining outside.
(BRIONA SPEAKING)
What's wrong with rain?
-How my hair gonna stay down?
-(MICHELLE SPEAKING)
Well, how about you all
cancel this date
since it's a school night
and do it another night?
(BLESSIN SPEAKING, LAUGHING)
No, let's do it.
(MICHELLE SPEAKING)
Is that paper done?
(BLESSIN SPEAKING)
No, not yet.
Oh, here you go,
my station, right here.
Lo mein, baby.
I want to start off
probably, like,
in Baltimore
and eventually make
my way up to New York.
New York?
New York is the place to be.
Choreography, Broadway.
What? Everybody wants
to move to New York.
Everybody wants to do that.
I'm not saying
you not one in a million.
I'm not saying that.
So what are you saying?
If I couldn't get,
in case of an emergency, that, you know...
That's what I'm saying!
Like, I wouldn't be that far.
Obviously we have
two different views on it.
Our views on what?
Me going to college.
It's not about
you going to college.
You're saying you basically
want me to stay in the city
without just saying
that exact thing.
That's what you want to do,
go ahead.
Go ahead.
That's what you want to do.
Everything that I'm saying, you're just, like,
"But this, but that." "Location."
"You don't have
money for this.
"You don't have
money for that."
If I don't have it,
I'm gonna find a way,
I've been doing it
my whole life.
Well, do it then.
(MILD MUSIC PLAYING
ON SPEAKER)
I will.
All right.
(INDISTINCT SHOUTING
IN HALLWAY)
PAULA: This year,
Blessin was doing really well,
and then she started slipping.
I'm not exactly sure
why or what happened
and, I don't know,
maybe it's that...
Maybe it's that she thinks
she can't get into college,
so what's the point
of even doing well?
Things happen at home.
Things happen outside.
Girlfriends, boyfriends,
all kinds of things and then
we're right back
where we started.
Hello!
Hello! So,
I spoke to your teachers.
-Mmm-hmm.
-Here's what we have.
When we pull up
your progress report,
you have, as of the day
that Mr. Cournoyer had
to submit his grades,
you had a 38.
Are these grades
your best?
Does this show
as good as you are?
No.
Why does the step team
get your best and I don't,
in this building
in a classroom?
I'm trying.
And it's a learning process.
I was where you were.
School is what got me
out of Brooklyn.
College is what's gonna
get you out of Baltimore.
I need to make sure that you are
right when you leave this building.
So understand, am I always
gonna be on your case
until June third? Yes.
Because I expect
more from you. We clear?
All right.
Now I need to go find somebody
to put my makeup on.
I love you dearly
and I'll see you later.
(EXCLAIMS IN FRUSTRATION)
BLESSIN: I have, like,
two people inside of me
that I struggle with
every day.
One Blessin is the Blessin
that is unstoppable,
the Blessin that can
do anything when she put her mind to it.
And the other Blessin is,
she feels lost a lot
and she feels stuck.
COACH G: You want to just do that one
move or you want to do it with her?
-I got it.
-COACH G: Let's see.
Five, six, just you two,
five, six, seven, eight.
You didn't even do that.
Hold on, you ain't do that right.
I know! It's just this...
Blessin! You gotta
not have a bad attitude,
because things
are gonna change.
Hers has changed three times and look
at her. She doesn't look sad.
-Be a leader.
-(BLESSIN SPEAKING)
Okay, Coach, I got it.
COACH G: Let's see.
Five, six...
I'm so disappointed
in Blessin.
Everyone's complaining
about her.
She has a really bad attitude
a lot of the times.
And now it's gotten
to the point where
-she's threatening someone.
-(COACH G SPEAKING)
Excuse me! Excuse me!
She was talking
about it like I have no talent.
The end. It's over.
I said I'm going to break her
and that was rude. How is it over?
She needs to apologize.
Apologize! For what?
You know what, Blessin? You can actually
step outside because you're not listening.
And I will.
I will step outside.
Thank you.
Appreciate it.
COACH G: I think that
she realizes Naysa, Tayla
and a lot of the other girls
are going off to college,
and she has been screwing
around all this time
and now she's seeing,
"Dang, I should've been doing what I
was supposed to be doing.
"I should have been doing
"what Tayla and Naysa
were doing."
(ANSWERING MACHINE BEEPS)
(ON PHONE) Hi, this is Mrs. Bond calling
from the Baltimore Leadership School
for Young Women.
Blessin did not
attend school today.
Please call me back
to let me know that everything is okay.
She said she basically
needed a break,
because she felt like
she would have been too confrontational
if she had gone to school,
and she don't want to mess up,
uh, the work that
she has achieved so far.
When I look at her,
I see myself so much.
But she's doing a wonderful,
wonderful job
at handling it,
because, physically,
I would have beat the shit out of them two
girls by now and anybody else.
That's the only thing
Blessin don't take after me.
And trying to get her
to restrain that is a big part for me.
And that's the truth.
(HUMMING)
GENEVA: So where you been?
What's going on?
You already know
what happened.
GENEVA: Well, I just need
to hear it from your mouth.
I need to hear it
from your mouth.
I told you yesterday,
like,
I see myself beating them up.
Like I told you.
(GENEVA SPEAKING)
But I don't want you
to go there physically.
Yeah! Like, I was really
ready to fight.
Both of them.
Tayla first, then Naysa.
They text, they hang
with each other outside of school.
I'm just irritated as hell,
who am I gonna talk to on the team?
GENEVA: Mmm-hmm.
Which one of them am I gonna
talk to? None of them.
It's annoying,
but it's life.
-I'm fine, Mom.
-I know you are.
-I just hate talking about it, like...
-GENEVA: I know you do.
GIRLS: (SINGING)
Happy birthday, dear Tayla
Happy birthday to you
(INDISTINCT CHATTERING)
It's your birthday.
-"Your."
-(MAISHA SPEAKING)
What was going on yesterday?
Ain't my child,
ain't my problem.
This is my birthday.
Let's talk about me.
MAISHA: But it becomes all of y'all problem,
because like I said before,
there's no "I" in "team".
Y'all are a team.
There's definitely
an "I" in Blessin. In Blessin. Never mind.
MAISHA: It saddens me
for you all to be thinking like that.
Us?
MAISHA: Yes.
The people
that come to practice,
and we don't bring
our problems into practice
and we talk to each other
about our problems.
MAISHA:
Everybody is different.
You never know
what a person is going through.
(NAYSA SPEAKING)
So we're supposed
to figure it out?
I'm not saying
figure it out.
What I'm saying is,
have a little bit more
consideration than
what you all do.
Just be there
as a friend.
(INDISTINCT CHATTERING)
COACH G: I don't know
what more I can say.
I've been pleading
with you all.
'Cause I don't want
you all to go and lose.
We have the material.
Y'all can step!
You want to know
what's stopping y'all if y'all do lose? You!
Next week, like literally one, two, three,
four, five practices, that's it!
That's all you have!
You have an hour
and five practices.
And you can either walk away
with your head down crying,
because y'all came
all the way to Bowie
for the how many
other times and lost.
(GENEVA SPEAKING)
You got some mail
in there from...
BLESSIN: From where?
One of the colleges.
I don't know which one.
(SCOFFS)
Came today.
-For real?
-Mmm-hmm.
I'm scared.
Go open them.
They're right there
on the table.
BLESSIN: Michelle!
GENEVA: Oh.
Potomac just sent me
some mail.
-Potomac University, West Virginia.
-(MICHELLE SPEAKING)
What it say?
I don't know.
I don't want to open it.
Open it.
(MICHELLE ENCOURAGING BLESSIN)
(SIGHS)
(READING) "Thank you for applying to
Potomac State University, West Virginia.
"I regret to inform you
that you,
"that you are unable to...
"That we are unable
to admit you for Fall 2016."
MICHELLE:
What school was that?
GENEVA: Potomac
in West Virginia.
ANDRE: It's not
the end of the world.
BLESSIN: Man, if I could've went and did
that interview, I'd have got in there.
I'm telling you, man,
my people skills are serious.
It's cool though.
'Cause in a few years, they gonna know
that they should have
let me in that university,
'cause I'm gonna make
the whole world know.
(SINGING) Tell 'em I'm your man
You're my girl
(SONG PLAYING ON SPEAKERS)
(EXHALES)
PAULA: So, Miss Blessin,
always a pleasure.
Thank you for sharing,
you know, your Potomac decision with me.
I had already spoken
with Admissions
and asked them if I could send them your
mid-year grades and move you
from that decision
to waitlist. Okay?
(BLESSIN SPEAKING)
Miss Dofat, I don't want
to stay at my mother's house.
I don't... I can't.
I want to go. (CHUCKLES)
It's that time.
I don't want to be home.
Okay. All right.
So, I'll tell you what.
We'll put a couple
of plans in place, and all of those plans
will have you
outside of your home.
So, you're at a 2.67
for the semester.
You should be
proud of yourself.
So you got to stay focused,
stay on this track.
I'm trying.
You're not trying,
you're doing it.
All right, thank you,
Miss Dofat.
-Can I have a hug?
-Yes! All the time.
(INDISTINCT)
(TRIANA SPEAKING)
Seriously, don't overthink.
Just go with the flow of
things. You know, that's my motto.
(CORI SPEAKING)
That was the plan.
-(BOTH LAUGH)
-(TRIANA SPEAKING)
You are my child.
PAULA: So, Johns Hopkins,
we've been waiting since tenth grade,
so let's pull it up
and let's see what we have.
-Oh, my God. Mom, you good?
-TRIANA: No, are you?
-Yeah, yeah. I'm gonna hope I'm good.
-TRIANA: I'm good.
PAULA: Oh, now available.
(GASPS)
I got in!
(WOMEN SHRIEK AND LAUGH)
-Congratulations!
-CORI: I really was not expecting to get in.
Read this out loud.
What does that say?
CORI: (READING)
"As a Baltimore Scholar,
"you'll receive
a full tuition award
"for all four years of your
undergrad study at Hopkins."
TRIANA: Full tuition!
(ALL CHEERING AND LAUGHING)
PAULA: You are so welcome!
TRIANA: See this pat
on my back?
PAULA: Oh, my... Yes!
(LAUGHS)
(CORI SPEAKING)
I'm surprised I got in.
Why, though?
Your scores were high enough
to get into the school.
You know, Hopkins looks for
a certain type of people.
And you're one of them.
And I didn't know I was one of them.
-Changing the game, Cori.
-(CHUCKLES)
Changing the game,
shortie! (LAUGHS)
I don't know if the
words that I know
are adequate enough
to describe how I feel.
(WOMAN AND CHOIR
SINGING GOSPEL MUSIC)
There is always light
at the end of the tunnel.
We are all human,
we all go through things.
The common denominator
between every human is we have problems
and they will keep coming
and so you get up
from that place.
You can't stay there.
God has blessed me.
A lot of parents who
had children my age,
they don't have this story.
(CHUCKLES)
WOMAN: (SINGING)
How great
Is our God?
WOMAN: (THOUGH SPEAKERS) Come on,
just sing, people of God, "How great".
How great is our God.
CHOIR: (SINGING)
Is our God?
WOMAN:
Sing, sing with me
How great...
Hey!
-TAYLA: This is so nice.
-I'm so proud of you!
I have some
fantastic news.
Your niece got accepted
into Alabama A&M.
Ah!
Yeah!
I'm excited.
I'm about to do cartwheels.
No, I need you alive
for when I go.
Um...
You know the thing hang low.
You know it does.
Ah. (SHRIEKS)
TAYLA: She's so excited.
(STOMPING RHYTHMICALLY)
Mom, look.
GRANDMA: (ON PHONE)
You're a smart cookie!
Must take after your grandma.
I take after my mom.
MAISHA: Hey!
Proud Mommy.
GRANDMA: Aren't we all.
Our children did good.
Yeah.
My mommy do good.
Proud daughter.
GRANDMA: Let me call Marla
and see if she's home.
MAISHA: All right.
GIRL: (SINGING)
Goin' on a journey
ALL: (SINGING)
We're goin' on a journey
We're on our way to college
We're on our way to college
And we gonna get there
Hello!
Hey, Miss Blessin.
How are you?
(INDISTINCT INTRODUCTIONS)
PAULA: So the program
that we're talking about is BridgeEdU.
It's a first-year
college program,
and it combines academics,
real-world internships,
and you have coaches
through your academic time there.
-I have a question.
-BLESSIN: Mmm-hmm.
If you could start
your high school over,
what would
you do differently?
First, I would come
every day. Um...
And not only
come physically,
but just be
in class mentally,
and just know what's
going on, be engaged.
Lot of the times when I didn't
understand exactly what was going on,
I would just shut down
or I just wouldn't be there.
And then once I got my first report card
back that I actually tried on,
it just gave me a good feeling,
and I don't want to let it go.
I want to keep persevering.
I want to keep seeing what I can offer,
what I can do.
What can I learn?
We're gonna see where this goes.
We don't know, but, um,
we're gonna put it in
and we're gonna go for it.
Thank you so much.
Nice meeting you.
JUANITA S. BELLAMY:
You're welcome. Nice meeting you.
BLESSIN: Have a great day.
I'm gonna say this to you
in all honesty,
and understand,
I'm not trying to put pressure on you,
but this program
is truly what she needs.
If this girl doesn't
get in this program...
JUANITA: We understand.
I don't know...
We understand.
She's made her mistakes,
she's done her stuff, but...
I'm just saying, if we don't
come together for this,
this girl is not
gonna make it.
Thank you.
So, I'm just asking, please,
to really, really consider...
This is so unprofessional.
I'm so sorry.
(INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS)
COACH G: What are you doing?
I'm filling out...
Okay, so,
I got into this
program, well... Mmm...
God willing,
I got into the program,
but yesterday,
I had an interview...
You're applying
for a program?
BLESSIN: Yes. BridgeEdU.
I was thinking, like, okay, so what if I really
gotta stay at my mother's house?
-What's gonna be that change for me?
-That's the struggle!
High school,
I completely messed up.
-I wasn't even in school.
-You dropped out?
I dropped out. Yes.
And when I got
my head on my shoulders, like, dang!
I really shouldn't
have messed up.
I really should've
been buckled down.
That's where I'm at right now.
I'm at that point right now.
I can tell.
I can tell it's hard,
but you have to know
it's not too late.
I genuinely
did not know, like,
that you stopped school
and then...
Mmm-hmm.
You did all of that.
Like, I want to do that.
Like, I really do want to do
exactly what you did.
Do better.
Do better.
BLESSIN: "It is never too late
to make a turnaround.
"I have made contributions
to my school environment,
"including being a founder,
the founder,
"of the step team at BLSYW.
"I will be the first person
in my family to go to college
"and I will be
more than honored
"to join the BridgeEdU...
-Family.
-"...family."
This is good.
COACH G: Listen up!
I need everybody
over here around this mat.
The only way this is gonna make it
in the show is if we work together
and you all be safe
and practice technique.
Our arms are tight, right?
Whose hand is
in my spine? Move it now!
ADAJAH: I'm slipping.
(ALL CONVERSING INDISTINCTLY)
(SHRIEKS)
ALL: Ten, 11!
COACH G: Breathe!
Let's go, ladies,
let's go!
(INDISTINCT SHOUTING)
(GROANS)
COACH G: Good.
Good!
Yes, ladies.
BLESSIN: If you feel
comfortable you can scoot
it over a little bit,
but just not in the back.
COACH G: So where do the knees need to go
for it to feel comfortable?
Mine's right here.
Being with them,
little did they know it or not,
it really was just
something that I needed.
Okay, this is a lot better.
They never let me forget,
like, Blessin,
you know, it's not
too late to fix that
and, you know, start over.
COACH G: Good job, Blessin.
Naysa, yes!
Go ahead, Amanda!
Okay, Najia!
That's what I'm talking about.
Oh, my God,
I can't concentrate, you all look so good!
Give me life!
Good job!
Yes!
Good!
Great job!
Guys, let's go!
I need y'all to gather around
for one second.
All right, I need to get
one more run-through.
This is the last time
you all stepping.
The literally last time
you stepping for Bowie
before you hit the stage.
From Baltimore Leadership
School for Young Women,
(GIRL WHOOPING)
the Lethal Ladies
of BLSYW Step Team!
ALL: I bet you remember.
I bet you remember.
COACH G: That's what
I'm talking about!
Go Kiante! Go Kiante!
Go Kiante!
ALL: Do you remember the time?
We're gonna win.
So let's talk about what we're gonna
wear tomorrow walking in.
'Cause what did you
all, like...
Like a lot of the girls' teams, they always
coordinated like the whole thing.
They come in
with their leggings on,
their representative shirts,
like their heels on.
All together in a straight
line, look like a parade.
I think that we got something
that will work for everyone.
And that will be
what Ms. Hamilton is wearing.
(ALL CLAMORING AND SHOUTING)
You get a tracksuit!
You get a tracksuit!
You get a tracksuit!
(ALL CHATTERING EXCITEDLY)
Let's practice walking in.
-Five, six...
-AMANDA: What we doin'?
We walkin'. Five, six...
Play the music.
(RAP MUSIC STARTS PLAYING)
COACH G: All right,
walk like this.
And point like,
"You all know us."
You all know us!
You all gotta point like,
"You all know us!
You all know us!"
Throw these up.
We back! We back!
We got a new coach!
We back!
(RAP MUSIC CONTINUES PLAYING)
MAN: (SINGING) Yeah, yeah
I'm from Baltimore,
you say you was, I never seen you
What part you on?
I got some family on The Alameda
I love my city,
ask about me and I bet they know me
My name good in any hood
I hung around Tivoly
I got a...
that live on Appleton she love them killers
When I re-up
I hit my partner...
BLESSIN: Real dramatic
stage makeup.
My uncle Jimmy 'round
the corner on the avenue
You baller blocking that's
the type of shit I never do
BLESSIN: All right,
next person!
...you know what
kind of shit I'm on
But I be everywhere
I sold drugs in Woodlawn
I know some...down the hill
that got it for the low
I live in Bird City...
You already know
(AUDIENCE CHEERING)
(MAN TALKING INDISTINCTLY
OVER SPEAKERS)
(AUDIENCE CHEERING)
(MEN CHANTING ON TV)
(APPLAUDING AND CHEERING)
All right, let's go,
ladies. Let's go!
NAJIA: Lethal...
ALL: ...Ladies!
NAJIA: Lethal...
ALL: ...Ladies!
ALL: LLOB!
(ALL WHOOPING)
(MAN TALKING INDISTINCTLY
ON SPEAKERS)
(COACH G SPEAKING)
You all got this. Don't forget your marks.
Don't forget your marks. Let's take this W.
Ladies and gentlemen,
would you please welcome LLOB!
(ALL CHEERING)
We are...
ALL: BLSYW step team,
all right, all right, all right.
BLSYW step team,
all right, all right,
all right.
Lethal Ladies!
(AUDIENCE CHEERING)
Lethal Ladies!
(AUDIENCE CHEERING)
COACH G: Go, ladies!
(AUDIENCE CHEERING)
(AUDIENCE CHEERING)
STEP TEAM: (CHANTING)
That's for sure.
That the Lethal Ladies
of BLSYW
are the ones
you can't resist.
Sisterhood and integrity,
you mess with my sister
and you mess with me.
We step with soul,
we step with pride.
Lethal Ladies
till the day we die.
(AUDIENCE CHEERING
AND APPLAUDING)
COACH G: Y'all killed it!
Y'all killed it.
Y'all killed it.
(YELLS)
Y'all did good.
WOMAN: (THROUGH SPEAKERS) There's
a lot of girl power on this stage tonight.
Our third-place team
with a high score of 760 points,
Charles Herbert Flowers
High School.
(ALL CHEERING)
Our second-place winners,
who get a check for $500, is
Paint Branch High School!
(ALL CHEERING)
And our first-place winner
with a high score of 803
and the winner of $1,000,
the Lethal Ladies
BLSYW step team!
(ALL CHEERING)
(RAP MUSIC PLAYING)
(SINGING) I'm from Baltimore,
you say you was, I never seen you
What part you on?
I got some family on The Alameda
I love my city,
ask about me and I bet they know me
My name good in any hood
I hung around Tivoly
I got a...
that live on Appleton she love them killers
When I re-up
I hit my partner them in Garden Village
My uncle Jimmy 'round
the corner on the avenue
You baller blocking that's
the type of shit I never do
I'm from the east side
you know what kind of...I'm on
But I be everywhere
I sold drugs in Woodlawn
I know some...
down the hill that got it for the low
I live in Bird City...
You already know
And I don't go nowhere
unless a...strapped up
And if you...a Morgan...
You better strap up
It's been a long road.
Long road
from stomping in the kitchen
to bringing home
the bacon!
Right! We showed them!
(ALL CONVERSING EXCITEDLY)
BLESSIN: Step is definitely something
that can help you, because it helped me.
Step taught me discipline.
Step taught me to be courageous.
Make people smile, make people
laugh, make people want to dance.
Step gave me a mission,
that if you come together
with a group
of powerful women,
the impact will be immense.
And I'm very happy
to be a part of that.
(HORNS HONKING)
(INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS)
MAISHA: Oh, my gosh,
Tayla. You ready?
This is it.
We thank You, Father God,
that Cori is strong
in her mind,
in her spirit, in her body.
It's all because
of Your grace,
it's all because
of Your glory.
(INSPIRATIONAL MUSIC PLAYING)
(SINGING) Feel the sound
(AUDIENCE CHEERING)
Of your heartbeat
Daring love
CHEVONNE HALL:
To the class of 2016, I say congratulations.
100% of you were
accepted into college, and let's be clear,
that does not happen in all
schools in the United States.
(ALL CHEERING)
CORI: Good evening, everyone.
We stand here today on the
precipice of the future.
It's not a distant
reality anymore.
We began high school
as children,
but we're leaving here
as adults,
or at least something
pretty close to it.
The future is truly in our hands,
so let's make the most of it.
-Thank you.
-(ALL CHEERING)
Cori Danielle Grainger.
Naysa Priscilla Reames.
Domonique Imani Hall.
Kiante Corone Moore.
Najia Quonya Johnson.
Amanda Gabrielle Leonard.
Yakema Chantelle
Rosland Barkley.
Diamond Monique Cache Hill.
Tyrina Teresa Sneed.
Tamar Denae Dennis.
Tayla Denise Solomon.
That's my baby!
WOMAN:
Blessin Sierria Giraldo.
It is my pleasure
to congratulate the founding class
of the Baltimore Leadership
School for Young Women.
The class of 2016.
(ALL CHEERING)
Mama! I graduated!
-GENEVA: I love you so much.
-I love you, too.
So happy!
You're so dramatic.
Are you crying?
-Give me my baby!
-Okay.
To know how it feels to fly
Together we can go high
Stronger, deeper
Light my fire
Even though
the world is cold
Even when the world is cold
You can stand on my shoulder
Can't keep sitting down
Get up, spread your magic
all around
It's not brave
if you're not afraid
Trust the light,
it'll lead the way
You gotta fight
if you wanna win
If you fall,
get up and start again
To make it to the other side
It's not brave
if you're not afraid
To get to
the other side, jump
Ooh
(BOTH LAUGHING)
(CHANTING INDISTINCTLY)
P-R-E-C...
(VOCALIZING)
(INSPIRATIONAL SONG PLAYING)
(SINGING) Don't look down
Feel the sound
Of your heartbeat
Daring love
It's not brave
If you're not afraid
To set darkness ablaze
And light up like faith
You got to jump
Go jump
'Cause the whole
world's waiting
No more hesitating, jump
Oh, jump
We want to be
As born in belief, jump
Oh, jump
To get to
the other side, jump
To know how it feels to fly,
jump
Together we can go high
Stronger, deeper,
light my fire
Even though
the world is cold
You can stand on my shoulder
Can't keep sitting down
Get up, spread your magic
all around
Ooh
Jump
'Cause the whole
world's waiting, jump
No more hesitating
Jump
Oh, jump
Oh, jump
Who you wanna be
Jump
When your knees are shaking
When your heart is racing
Jump
Oh, jump
Jump
There's no guarantees
That you'll land on your feet
Just jump
Oh, jump
To get to the other side
Get to the other side
To know how it feels to fly,
jump
Together we can go high
Stronger, deeper,
light my fire
Even though
the world is cold
The world is colder
You can stand on my shoulder
On my shoulder
Can't keep sitting down
Get up,
spread your magic all around
What do you got to know?
What have you got to lose?
Jump
It's your move
Ooh
Captioned by Deluxe
REPORTER 1: The streets of
Baltimore are tense tonight.
Violent protestors
overran parts of the city
this afternoon,
attacking police,
looting stores...
REPORTER 2: The charge of
six officers
in the case of Freddie Gray,
who died after being
in police custody,
and at the center
of the story...
STEPHANIE RAWLINGS-BLAKE:
This is one of
our darkest days as a city
and I know that
we are much better than this.
COACH G:
Attention! Attention!
(FEET STOMPING)
GIRLS: (CHANTING)
You may think you may know,
but there's one thing
that's for sure.
That the Lethal Ladies
of BLSYW
are the ones you can't resist.
Sisterhood and integrity,
you mess with my sister
and you mess with me.
We step with soul,
we step with pride.
Lethal Ladies
till the day we die.
(INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS)
Come on, ladies.
(SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY)
(OVERLAPPING CONVERSATIONS)
(BELL RINGING)
COACH G: All right. Okay.
-Hello, everyone.
-GIRLS: Hi.
I'm Gari.
I'm the new step coach.
Did you all hear
you got a new step coach?
Y'all can call me Coach G.
You good with that?
I'm a first-generation
college student.
I'm the only person
in my family who has a degree.
I live on Gilmor Street,
where Freddie Gray
was murdered,
so I'm very well-rounded with
what goes on
out in these streets.
I want everyone to
introduce themselves to me.
Tell me why
you like to step.
My name is Amanda Leonard.
I like to step
because it's empowering.
It's a form of art
that brings us all together.
I can express myself
in different ways during step
and this is also
my side hustle
because I don't do hair
or makeup.
-(LAUGHING)
-(SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY)
I like to step because
it's a passion of mine,
I'm good at it
and I like to see
our ideas come to life.
Step is life.
-COACH G: Step is life.
-Yes.
COACH G:
Five, six, seven, eight.
BLESSIN: Sometimes
I feel like I just go
somewhere else when I step.
It's like therapy
a little bit.
Like you up there
screaming and yelling
and faces and muggin'
and steppin' like you just
stomping your life away.
Throwing your hair everywhere.
You clappin'.
Got all your friends around,
you know? Just like...
We makin' music
with our bodies.
Like, that's some slick stuff.
That's slick though, ain't it?
That's slick.
COACH G:
One more time, ladies.
BLESSIN: Step is a complete
getaway for me.
Like a complete erase
from home.
My community
is pretty poisonous,
I'm not even gonna lie.
It feels good to know that,
like, you and your teammates
are all on the same page
and that you're just
moving as one.
I started the step team
in sixth grade
and over the years,
we got good,
but last year,
everything just fell apart.
I missed about 53 days
of school
and my grades didn't meet
the GPA requirement,
so I was kicked off
the step team.
We lost
every competition that year.
Ladies, that was good!
That was on point.
But that was last year,
right?
What's up this year?
We taking it
to the next level, right?
Y'all ready?
I want them to understand
that this is way bigger
than stepping.
It's about
not making excuses
making sacrifices,
having a positive attitude.
I know it gets tough.
We're in Baltimore City.
They come home
to no lights,
come home to violence
in their neighborhood,
not having food
in the refrigerator,
not having
a refrigerator at all.
But when they come to
step practice,
all those things are erased
out of their mind.
So that is why
they can succeed.
'Cause they can
make it through step practice,
so they can make it
through life.
(INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS)
(SINGING INDISTINCTLY)
In exactly 274 days,
we will graduate
our first twelfth-grade class.
We have an entire city
that's waiting for the power
that we will unleash.
PAULA:
My mission is to make sure
each and every one of you
from sixth grade
through twelfth grade
is accepted to
and graduates from college.
This is just
the beginning
of a litany of success
and greatness
that will be
the grand history
of the Baltimore Leadership
School for Young Women.
Ah! I was such a cute child.
What happened?
I don't know why my mother
made us pose like this
at every school picture.
Like, look at that gut!
I remember this year.
-Mmm-hmm.
-(GENEVA SPEAKING)
That's Briona being baptized.
I loved that church.
I loved that church so much.
Grace Bible Baptist
on Rolling Road.
They taught...
(SINGING) Oh, down by the river
GENEVA:
Down by the river
I took a little walk
I took a little walk
I met up with the Devil
I met up with the Devil
We had a little talk
We had a little talk
I pushed him in the river
I pushed him in the river
And I hung him on the line
And I hung him on the line
I said,
we can beat the Devil
We can beat the Devil
Any old time
That was like
the best song ever.
Now you see how they had me
steppin' on the church bus
before I was
even steppin'.
I was like,
you could count on me, like,
Brother Jerry's like,
"Keep the beat, Blessin!"
"Keep the beat!"
Like, I got that beat.
This is my father.
He drew this of himself
when he had a lot of time
to just draw.
GENEVA:
I tried to do the best that I could
with raising my girls
as basically a single parent,
because their father and I...
Well, their father and I
do better
when we're not
in the same household.
I'll put it like that.
Yeah.
BLESSIN:
Is this my handwriting?
(LAUGHS) Oh, I remember this.
"The Frankenstein."
(READING) "This is a story
by Blessin. 4-2-2003."
(READING) "One day, a spooky
monster came into the night
"to kill the woman
that break up with him.
"Her door bust open
"and Frankenstein
bust in the house
"and made
something go like boom!"
(GENEVA SPEAKING)
You know, a family coordinator
asked me what was that about.
BLESSIN: What was going on
in your house?
It's just that when you hear,
"Boom!" you know to zoom!
-You know what I'm sayin'?
-(FAMILY LAUGHING)
It go boom.
(GENEVA SPEAKING)
We would fight.
We would fight.
I'm a fighter, you know?
Once, I saw it was like a black-out.
And I just heard
Brittany and Brooke behind me screaming,
"Mommy don't kill him".
Because I had him
pinned down
and I was literally
choking him out.
And then I said no.
I'm not going to do it.
You know, somebody has to back down in
order to keep the sanity about you, so I left.
And I stayed in transitional housing
for 22 months. Me and my children.
Probably had depression
since I was a teenager.
My children know.
They know when I'm depressed,
they know
when I'm worried, you know.
And they'd be very concerned
about me.
Mmm-hmm.
(COACH G SHOUTS)
(CHANTING)
You know you like it.
CORI:
I'm kind of an introvert.
I'm not very dramatic.
But all those parts come out
of me when I step.
I'm just everything
that step is not.
COACH G: Y'all take
a ten-minute break.
5:40 come back.
(SQUEALING)
CORI: So, since sixth grade,
I've really been working
super-hard
to graduate top of my class,
because my dream school
is Johns Hopkins University.
Hopkins costs about $60,000
per year in tuition and
I don't have $60,000
per year for tuition
so I'm hoping to get
a full ride.
Wait, did you all
wash your hands first?
-Yes.
-No.
TRIANA: I got half yeses
and half nos.
CORI: I have
six siblings, so,
my parents aren't gonna have
enough money
to send me to school
for four years,
especially not at Hopkins.
Taylor said
the soup is delicious.
Who the bomb?
Who's the woman?
Who makes great soup?
Yeah, baby!
BROTHER: Cori, what's this?
CORI: It's called coding.
You make a secret code
to make pictures.
BROTHER: Stay still, Taylor.
You want to make a bunny?
-TAYLOR: A bunny?
-Hmm?
Wanna make a bunny?
Yes.
So if I make it 300,
his ear will be gone.
(GIGGLES)
CORI: It's really important
for my mom
to see her kids
do well in life, in school.
My mom didn't go to college
because she didn't really
have anybody
who was there to support her
through the process.
And she also had me
when she was 16.
TRIANA: Isn't this crazy?
'Cause you have
a Mickey Mouse blanket.
Yes. My room
was Mickey Moused-out!
You were six months old
with your mom
and her
Mickey Moused-out room.
(LAUGHS) And this was
my Junior Prom.
I was 15,
I was in the 10th grade
and my stepfather asked me,
he said,
"So what are you gonna do?"
And I said, "What do you mean,
what am I gonna do?
"I'm keeping my baby."
It was easy
because her father,
we worked together
really well.
With both of us working
and both of us
having our own cars
even though we were young,
it was just easy with her.
CORI: My mom is like...
(CHUCKLES)
A magic wand in human form.
I never had to worry about
where my next meal
would come from,
or where would
we be staying.
At one point
we were homeless
and I actually
didn't even know it.
Hey, Shane,
can I have a kiss?
Shelton and I, we have not
been married a year yet.
And so, we are just kind of
getting into the flow
and groove
of this whole
blended family life
and wife and husband life.
We are still not
in a place financially
where we can just pay
our bills.
And when the money
is not in place,
everything else
is like downhill.
Five, six, five,
six, seven, eight.
(RAPPING INDISTINCTLY)
Last year, we went to
a lot of step competitions
and we didn't win first place
in any of them.
And I feel like this year
is our time for redemption.
And I feel like
people are actually
gonna want to work hard
to get the rewards
that we deserve.
Left, right, clap, here.
COACH G: We have a big year
ahead of us,
the biggest competition
is Bowie State.
Bowie is a competition
for the DMV.
That's DC,
Maryland and Virginia.
There's never been a team
from Baltimore
who has came out there
and won.
(INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS)
(CHANTING)
BLESSIN:
If we win Bowie, like...
Jesus!
If we win Bowie, like,
we gonna let them know,
like, man, we from Baltimore,
like, whatcha all talking
about up here in Bowie?
Oh!
(INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS)
PAULA: We're gonna talk about
what your options are.
So today is reality check.
These grades,
this overall 1.1 GPA
from ninth
through eleventh grade,
is not indicative
of who you are.
So this is the time
when you pass by my office
and I'm giving you
the side-eye, this is why.
You hid from me last year.
It's okay, you can say
you didn't but you did.
My absence was bad,
so Blessin hid from herself.
"Blessin hid from herself."
Well, I'm glad, we're glad
to see Blessin. Okay?
I'm aiming for all A's
this quarter. All A's.
And we're here to help you
and support you to do that.
Now, the biggest piece
is our parent night
for seniors.
-My mom has to be here?
-Yes.
We've had some situations
in the past
getting in touch with mom,
getting mom to come.
In fact, you know,
I've never met your mother
in three years.
What can we do because
I need her as part of
this process,
because the financial pieces,
you cannot do.
Well...
You know, usually I...
I don't know.
So I had
my academic meeting
with Ms. Dofat today,
our college advisor.
GENEVA: Mmm-hmm.
You really don't know her
that much.
I've met her.
You think I forget stuff,
but I remember Ms. Dofat.
I remember things
you tell me.
BLESSIN: Okay. Well,
she gave me my transcript
and some possible colleges
I could be attending
if I get a certain GPA
this year.
(GENEVA SPEAKS)
Which are?
Oh, Allegany, FI and, um, it was one more.
I took notes on it,
but here you go.
What's this about Allegany?
Isn't that closer to us?
Yeah, it's not that far,
you can drive there.
I know you want to go away
for school,
but I don't want you too far
from me, you know?
BLESSIN: I'll be a phone call away.
I'm ready to go!
BRITTANY: Go, girlfriend!
Share your talents
with the world.
You ready to
eat anything yet?
GENEVA: I went to college
for a while.
I didn't graduate.
I stopped after two years
because I had problems
with math
and I would always withdraw
just before the grades
would come out
and I would always get
the incomplete on my grades.
And eventually I stopped going
and then you look up
10 years later, you say,
"Wow, you should've stayed."
Mmm-hmm.
That's me.
So, yeah, on the 24th,
Ms. Dofat said that
you need to
come to the school for a meeting.
GENEVA: What's this meeting
gonna be about?
BLESSIN: So I can get
financial aid.
To see what kind of grants
you'll qualify for?
I will be there
and not be square.
(INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS)
COACH G: Plie.
However, it's like this.
Hold up. Coach.
Come on.
Hold your arms
straight out.
Oh, my God.
This is ridiculous.
(TAYLA SPEAKING)
I'm like a notch down
from Beyonc because I do still mess up.
Beyonc don't mess up.
Well, even if she do,
she, like, pull it off so good
and I just don't
even notice it.
COACH G: All right, let's
do it one more time
then we're gonna go on
to something different.
-Five, six seven, eight.
-GIRLS: (CHANTING)
We are the lovely ladies
of LLOB.
Unlike these imitators,
we are so unique.
We started our steppin'
just seven years ago
and ever since then
we've been rockin' the show.
MAISHA: It has become
a daily routine.
It's in my schedule.
Work, step, home.
I've watched
all of these girls grow up
so I don't only go for her,
Tayla, I go for everybody.
I would love to have had
a big family
and lots of children,
but that wasn't my calling.
My calling
was to have one as I did.
Hello? Hello?
COACH G: Good!
The queen is waiting.
COACH G: Now look around.
"Hello? Hello?"
NUSH: Hello?
The queen is waiting.
(MAISHA SHOUTING)
(BLESSIN LAUGHING)
Hello?
The queen is waiting.
There it is.
One more time.
BOTH: Hello? Hello?
NUSH: The queen is waiting.
MAISHA: There it is.
That's what's gonna get.
Thank you.
(INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS)
(SINGING) My daddy Alabama
Momma Louisiana
You mix that negro
with that Creole
make a Texas bama
TAYLA: My mother is annoying.
She can take it overboard
and have too much fun,
like she's 17 or 18.
And I'm just like,
"Mom, you gotta
chill sometimes."
She'll be like,
"What? I'm just having fun!"
And I'm just, like,
"Okay, you're embarrassing me
but whatever."
Oh, my gosh!
Why would you ever do that?
REPORTER: (ON TV)
In other news,
the trials for
the six officers charged
in Freddie Gray's death
are back on the docket.
And today, expect it to be finalized.
Here's a look at the order now.
Officer Edward Nero's trial
is scheduled
for May 10th,
after that the driver.
When I was coming up,
the police
were my biggest heroes.
I grew up
in northwest Baltimore.
You had officer friendlies.
They would walk the beat,
they would come to school,
talk to you.
And that's why I wanted my job
as a correctional officer.
And I love my job.
I love it.
Some deserve to be there
and some don't.
A lot of our children
are lost.
They have no one.
And I feel as though
it's my obligation
and my civic duty
to help them.
(SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY)
(INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS)
We must remember that
college is a business.
So where do I
fit financially?
'Cause some of these colleges
are outrageous.
I don't know
anybody's financial situation,
but I seriously doubt
that the average American
has $40,000 or $50,000
sitting around
in their bank account,
waiting to be written
to a college.
Yes?
TRIANA: The part
that scares me
is me not being there
enough for Cori.
(VOICE BREAKING) That's
overwhelmingly scary for me.
I feel like I won't be enough
support for her.
PAULA: And we're gonna
make it through it, okay?
You're fabulous.
Come here, mama. (LAUGHS)
(INDISTINCT CONVERSATION)
BLESSIN: When my mom didn't
show up for parent night,
I'm not gonna say that
I expected her to be there,
but when I actually
seen her not show up,
I was just thinking, like,
"Okay, she promised me
she'd be here.
"Where is she?"
PAULA: Once again,
thank you so much.
If you have any questions,
I'll be happy to answer them.
PAULA: What's going to happen
now, you know the next step,
February 11th
is your interview.
You're there to make sure
that Cori is a good fit
for University of Maryland
and also that
University of Maryland
is a good fit for Cori.
Barnard, I'm not concerned
about you getting accepted.
They would be crazy
if they didn't accept you.
And not because
I like you so much,
but because of
your credentials.
I think there's no reason
that you shouldn't
be accepted.
The situation is gonna come
in the money piece.
I'm pretty sure there are
gonna be loans on there.
I don't like the L word.
-I know. I know.
-(CHUCKLES)
If you ended up
with a total $5,000
in loans per year
for your four years,
I know that's $20,000,
but it's really
not a lot of money
in the sense of
what people come out owing.
Your face says no, I get that.
CORI: My stepdad
just lost his job
and it's like bills and bills
and bills and bills.
It's not the first time
the power has been off.
It happens.
I don't know, like, for me,
well, for my family, like,
the idea of comfortability
has been like cyclical.
Like, it's on and off.
It's on and off.
And it's really frustrating
to live like that
because as soon
as you get comfortable,
it seems like
one thing goes bad.
Then when one thing goes bad,
everything else
goes bad and like...
I don't know...
I don't want to have to live
like this
and I don't want my family
to have to live like this.
So I'm gonna work my hardest
to make it not happen
in my life.
(SNIFFLING)
MS. THOMPSON:
We are gonna do
one last presentation
for today.
And that will be Blessin
and Quanshe.
Once the Supreme Court
brought attention
to the Fourteenth Amendment
equal protection law,
public schools were forced
to desegregate its facilities.
Next slide, please.
So, this is shown where
the desegregation
was required.
As you can see, that's in
a lot of the southern states.
Any questions?
GIRL: What's the difference
between this and the KKK?
The KKK aligned
and further pushed
that movement
towards violence
because they actually went out
at night in hooded cloaks
and actually abused
and attacked African Americans
while they were already
being suppressed, uh,
economically and socially.
Round of applause
for the ladies.
(CLASS APPLAUDS)
(TEACHER SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY)
BLESSIN: Oh, they sell cool
strips of color in the front.
They have like
little bundles of color.
See, but if I did go
platinum blonde,
I'm gonna go all the way.
NAYSA: I thought you were
going regular blonde.
BLESSIN: No,
I'm gonna go platinum.
(HAIR BLOWER WHIRRING)
(BLESSIN SPEAKS)
You want your hair to look
like Martin Luther King.
(CHUCKLES) Malcolm X.
(LAUGHS)
BLESSIN: Okay,
if you all were alive back in the day,
would you be with Malcolm X
or the MLK movement?
I'd probably be
with Malcolm.
BLESSIN: I think
I would be with Martin.
I mean, like,
I would have some homeboys
that would be
Black Panthers
so if anybody ever
spit in my face,
I could call up
my squad.
Hard work is what really makes
you somebody that's great.
Somebody that should
really go down.
DOMONIQUE: Kim Kardashian
didn't do a damn thing.
Kim Kardashian isn't great.
Kim Kardashian is pretty.
You just gotta work
twice as hard.
And I'm willing to work.
That's the way you have to get
what you want in life.
BLESSIN:
I have a lot of dreams.
Maybe I dream too much.
(CHUCKLES)
I'm passionate
about dancing and step
and choreographing everything.
I fell in love
when I seen the movie Chicago.
Like, just the way they move.
I'm just, like,
I can do that.
I can show people
how to do that.
COACH G: I need y'all
to really listen to this song
and really think of ways
that y'all can make the beat.
All right, here we go.
Listen.
(UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING)
BLESSIN: I'm good
with rhythms, like...
I'm always the one like, boom,
tap, tap, boom, tap, tap.
Like with my mouth,
that's how I remember steps.
You need to have
certain people on the floor
laid down
in this position
and we need to have
some people like this.
(VOCALIZING) Step.
Now we step.
Now we step.
COACH G: Yes! Yes!
BLESSIN: Then the dance part.
-Like levels, right?
-Yep.
BLESSIN:
It's like a four-count...
COACH G: We're gonna
do those two moves.
COACH G: She stands out.
She's the one
who comes up with things,
like, out of nowhere.
Like,
Blessin the visionary.
When you see her step,
she's the one
who your eyes
go directly to.
Because her heart is in it.
(CHANTING) Lethal!
COACH G: Wrong leg.
(CHANTING) Ladies!
ALL: (CHANTING)
Come on, Freddie Gray,
I got the victory,
the victory.
Because the devil is defeated
and God be praised.
I got the victory,
the victory.
(CHANTING CONTINUES)
COACH G: Attention, please!
This is a expo.
We're here to learn,
enhance, grow, move forward.
I know you all
want to take down the Lady Raiders.
Yes.
And this expo is the expo
that the Lady Raiders
and the Boy Raiders go to
to enhance their step show.
I need y'all to work
on your facial expressions.
I want you to imagine yourself
the most elegant woman
on earth.
But she steps hard
and with confidence.
You gonna watch me step.
Actually, I'm gonna
make you watch me step.
I'm gonna get my step,
is gonna get up in your grill.
I'm gonna take you
by your neck
and you gonna watch me
do what I do.
That's what
you're supposed to project
every time you get
in front of somebody.
That's what you step on.
If you not steppin' on that,
sit down, go home, good night.
So, stand at attention
and give me that face.
Let's, let's, let's,
let's get this step off
started right!
GIRLS: (CHANTING)
Ay, ay, whoo!
'Cause you don't want it.
Let's get it started!
'Cause you don't want it.
(LORA LAUGHS)
(ALL LAUGHING)
LORA: They on fire,
aren't they?
They on fire! Come on!
PAULA: Today,
college application day.
So we have a lot to do,
a lot to accomplish.
Ladies, we are gonna
get it done today.
Do you have
an account already?
Account? No.
(SINGING) Baby, I'm worth it
Her GPA could be
a little bit higher.
We just had
this conversation.
Our first impression
is very important.
And we only get
how many chances
to make
a first impression? One.
In the club with the lights off
Whatchu acting shy for?
PAULA: Your degree
can say NYU.
Your degree can say Spelman.
Your degree can say
anything you want it to say.
CORI: I have an email about
paying the enrollment fee.
Ooh, I don't
like that number.
(CHANTING)
My college application
just erased. It erased twice.
The entire thing.
Give it to me, I'm worth it
It's all on you
it's all on you
And tell her to bring
her taxes, bring the W-2's.
Did you work in 2015?
You have to find
$40,000 for yourself.
I spoke with you
about Blessin Giraldo.
We were waiting for
her mid-year grades.
They're gonna be
so much better
than what
we sent to you already.
Make it happen tonight because
I don't put my name out there
for no reason.
And I put my name out there.
Don't make me look crazy.
(INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS)
You made the honor roll?
I knew you could do it.
-NAYSA: Yeah, Blessin!
-(APPLAUDING)
BLESSIN: Anatomy
and physiology, 83.
Foundations of Technology,
a 95. (CHUCKLES)
In English, I have a 72,
but, like, I worked
very hard for that 72.
No assignments late,
no assignments missing.
So, you know,
just gonna try new tactics
and aim better
for quarter two.
This is the lady that
is getting me into college.
BLESSIN: Seeing my mom
at school was...
It was a big deal for me,
you know.
I don't know
what she went through
that morning to get up,
or what she was even thinking
entering the building.
She's trying.
She is and I can see it.
(PAULA SPEAKING)
I'm so pleased to meet you.
I'm going to tell you, I love this girl.
She works my last nerve
but I love this girl.
She's gonna be amazing.
We just gotta wrangle her.
So anything you and I can do
to partner on that,
I would appreciate it.
-And Michelle.
-PAULA: No, all of us.
Because it's gonna take
a team, village, a country,
whatever it's gonna take,
we gonna do that.
MICHELLE: We've been
working on it.
All right. Okay, thank you,
it was really nice to meet you.
I appreciate it.
NAJIA: (CHANTING) Hands up!
GIRLS: Don't shoot!
NAJIA: Hands up!
GIRLS: Don't shoot!
NAJIA: Hands up!
GIRLS: Don't shoot!
NAJIA: Say it loud!
ALL: I'm black
and I'm proud.
COACH G: The Bowie competition
is at the end of the year
and we're working
towards that.
But in the meantime,
we got invited
to the Baltimore High School
Step Show.
This is the first time that
the girls have stepped with
other girls from Baltimore.
We can pick whatever theme
that we want to do.
So my theme is going to be
Black Lives Matter.
(CHANTING) You need to stop,
look and listen.
COACH G: They start with
"Stop, Look and Listen" chant.
(CHANTING) 'Cause you're
about to witness...
COACH G: ...something
that is stupendous.
And then,
let's tell them who we are.
So we are the showstoppers,
(CONTINUES CHANTING)
...trailblazers, hit makers.
We are the show takers,
hip poppers, floor rockers.
COACH G: All right.
Last pose!
And then
they're doing this pose
where it's so powerful,
with their right fists up
showing that
black lives matter.
(COACH G COUNTING)
(INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS)
COACH G:
All right, so listen, guys.
First of all,
I wanted to show you guys
the importance
of these images back here
that symbolizes
how 40, 50, 60 years later,
we still have to protest
for our rights
as African Americans.
As women,
you guys are considered,
as women, we,
not you guys...
We are considered
the bottom of the barrel
as African-American women.
So when you all heard about
Freddie Gray, where were you?
GIRL: We were at school.
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
Did you all get a text
that you all were supposed to riot?
NAJIA: It was on Twitter.
GIRL: There was a lot of stuff
on social media.
I didn't like how they tried
to portray Baltimore, like,
it was like a lot of
bad stuff going on,
but when you'd put
on local news like WJZ,
people was cleaning up,
but CNN didn't showcase that.
They only showcased us
fighting and
throwing everything.
GIRL: CNN portrays us
as being bad.
Yeah, we're not like that.
COACH G: These are
little black girls
who are going to be
going to college
and they have been
at this small all-girls school
and they don't understand that
it's some people who won't
care about your life,
or some people
who don't understand
that you are valuable.
So you have to understand,
as young black women,
it could've been us,
it really could have been
you and it still can be.
(SIRENS BLARING IN DISTANCE)
(SINGING) Ain't got no troubles
in my life
No foolish dreams
to make me cry
I'm never frightened
or worried
I know I always get by
I heat up
I cool down
When something
gets in my way I go around it
I've got the music in me
I've got the music in me
I've got the music in me
I've got the music in me
I've got the music in me
I've got the music in me
Yes, I do down in my bones
I've got the music in me
Sure no better than me
I've got the music
Pretty, pretty, pretty,
pretty music
I've got the music in me
Yeah
Everybody's up for BLYS.
(AUDIENCE CHEERING)
(CHANTING) You need to stop,
look, and listen.
'Cause you're about
to witness
(AUDIENCE CHEERING)
something that
is stupendous.
Let's tell them who we are.
We are the trailblazers,
hit makers.
We are the show takers,
hip poppers, floor rockers.
We are the showstoppers.
Wanted all over the city,
and still sitting pretty.
(AUDIENCE CHEERING)
Let's go!
(AUDIENCE CHEERING)
(CHEERING CONTINUES)
Due to the deaths
of several unarmed
African-American men
and women,
it would be remiss of us
not to mention...
ALL: ...it could've been us.
(AUDIENCE CHEERING)
NAJIA: Hands up!
Don't shoot!
NAJIA: Hands up!
Don't shoot!
NAJIA: Say it loud!
I'm black and I'm proud.
(AUDIENCE CHEERING)
What are you doing?
Working on my application
for Barnard.
Oh.
Looks like
I have everything in.
CORI: I feel like anybody else
in this school
is just as capable of being
valedictorian as I am,
but I'm a very
competitive person.
Once I got the taste of,
like, being at the top,
I was like,
"Oh, I like this."
It's definitely my motivation
to keep my grades high.
CORI: You remember
what my EFC was from the FAFSA?
Your Expected
Family Contribution?
TRIANA: Oh, no,
I don't remember.
We can log on and see.
Most schools like Barnard
don't give out lots of money.
They're like
need-based aid.
And according to this FAFSA
we have a lot of need,
so they probably
would give a lot of money.
But you still have
to pay some money.
I just don't think
that's something
you should be
sweatin', period.
Don't worry about it.
If that's where you want to go,
we gonna make it happen
like we always do.
TRIANA: If you can
look us in the eyes
and tell us that
we don't come through
on the stuff
that's important,
then you have a reason
to be worried,
but you can't do that,
so you should have no worries.
Mmm-hmm.
Yeah. Mama hitting
on something now, huh? Yeah. (CHUCKLES)
Salt is more valuable
to some people than gold.
So a lot of the study
of economics is why do things have value?
(BELL RINGING)
I went to Allegany.
I like Allegany.
I know you do.
-I really like Allegany.
-I understand that,
but with Allegany,
when we did the calculation,
you're gonna be somewhere
around $20,000 a year.
That is, for me,
a two-year school, I think that's crazy.
If you can afford it,
that's one thing,
but I don't think
that's a great option.
It's a lot of money.
I mean, I do hair
and makeup and stuff,
you don't think I can, like...
Okay, Blessin, we will
get full information
like every other student,
see what financial
aid packages look like
and then we will
make the decision.
Unfortunately,
it's not my first choice.
BLESSIN: Uh-huh. Uh-huh.
Uh-huh. Uh-huh.
What you doing?
(TIYON GRUNTING)
-(TIYON EXCLAIMING)
-(BLESSIN MIMICKING TIYON)
BLESSIN: What you want,
a facial?
That's what
I'm about to do.
(LAUGHING) No.
(TIYON SPEAKING)
Ow, ow, ow. Stepped on glass.
(BLESSIN SPEAKING)
Let me see it.
Hold it.
(SINGING) N-E-P with
a little bit of H-N-E
W that spells my,
my nephew my nephew, my nephew
N-E-P
You ain't gonna sing it
with me?
Mmm-mmm.
(CHUCKLES)
BLESSIN: Tiyon,
did you eat anything yet?
I know when
the food gets here
I'm gonna start
eating like a gorilla like I always do.
BLESSIN: Well, we get
some food stamps
on the sixteenth,
so we be all right.
Tiyon!
What?
One minute your foot broken,
next minute you playin'.
As of right now,
it's no food in the 'frigerator.
I mean, I'm not eating,
that's fine as of right now,
like, I'm just waiting for
my sister to come home
so she can order something,
but he's six.
I mean, it's okay, though.
Just gotta make the best
out of what you have.
'Cause if I didn't,
I would be angry,
upset and a bitter person,
and I don't want to be
that type of person.
I just think of what
I go through, I just hold it there.
(VOICE BREAKING)
I'm sorry. Sorry.
(SNIFFLES) And I just
keep me going,
keep me going, make me
work harder and harder,
and put my all
into everything I'm doing,
because this is not it for me.
(SNIFFLES)
(MUSIC PLAYING ON RADIO)
COACH G: Why are you late?
You forgot your shirt.
You practice in the Uggs?
You practice in the Uggs?
You practice in the Uggs?
You forgot your shirt.
All right, so,
let's just say this.
If you forget your shirt,
your shoes, whatever, just don't even come.
'Cause I could surely
replace y'all.
Are we ready to start?
No.
GIRL: God! Christ!
COACH G: Do we need
to sit the wall?
I think we should.
That's a good way.
-(GIRLS DISAGREEING)
-Come on. Let's go!
One, two, three, down.
Up.
BLESSIN: Ah! Whoa.
Wait a minute!
One two, three, down.
(CHUCKLING)
-Everybody up.
-(SIGHS)
One, two, three, down.
Arms out.
Every time somebody goes down,
you all gonna stay longer.
Why you go down, Nush?
(ALL ARGUING)
COACH G: Excuse me,
is that how we encourage our teammates?
That's not teamwork.
That's not cool.
That's not sisterhood.
That's not integrity.
Yelling at Nush, yelling at each
other. That's not what winners do.
You gotta have the mindset.
The mindset of a winner.
Not being disrespectful
to each other, to yourselves.
This is step.
Handle your business.
And that's how you all gonna
handle it on this wall.
One, two, three, down.
They love step,
but their focus isn't winning.
I hope everyone
gets home safely.
You all have
a blessed night.
We have a competition
coming up at Bowie.
They've been twice already
and have not placed or won.
For the seniors, this is it.
And if they don't
straighten up and fly right,
it could fall apart.
Completely fall apart.
COACH G: See, if you all
wasn't talking, you all would've been ready.
You all need to practice
proper habits.
You all got lazy.
Do it again.
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
Coach!
Her report card looks like shit.
Oh, that's why.
Are you kidding me?
-Ooh, that's not good.
-Wait, wait. You mean, like...
-Come here, Tayla.
-Like C's?
I don't play 60s,
I don't play 70s
and I don't play 80s,
because that's not
the child that she is.
Absolutely, I agree.
Show your coach
what your grades look like.
(ASSISTANT COACH SPEAKING)
It's a sixty-six!
What was it again?
-What you say?
-Sixty-seven?
A what?
My daughter has never,
for as long as she's been going to school,
bring me no damn 60.
I don't tolerate that
in my house.
COACH G: It's something
that you're doing.
Is there something
that's distracting you?
I think it's the little friend
that she has now.
You don't need
to be distracted by anybody.
ASSISTANT COACH: 'Cause
all it takes is that one time.
COACH G: Friends, men,
that's all it takes.
You cannot let
nobody stop you.
They not really
rockin' with you
if they stopping you
-from getting what you need to get.
-(MAISHA SPEAKING)
And if you are still a virgin,
that's the way the hell you stay.
Because it's going
to be a problem.
-(ASSISTANT COACH CHUCKLING)
-(COACH G SPEAKING)
I'm going to let you go ahead
and let me talk to your mom for a second.
(MAISHA SPEAKING)
I really think
it's this little boy.
ASSISTANT COACH:
And it probably is! It probably is.
MAISHA: But she knows
her morals and values,
but sometimes
she gets sidetracked.
I said don't have no children
out of wedlock like me.
Because this is what
you're going to go through.
(COACH G SPEAKING)
Keep communicating.
Keep communicating.
(RHYTHMIC CLAPPING
AND STOMPING)
MAISHA: If you don't keep up your grades,
it's gonna be a problem.
Your goal is 4.0.
Nothing less.
So you don't let anyone stop you from
striving to get what you need to get.
Boys have cooties.
Stay away!
Oh, I left my spray
in the car.
BRIONA: I don't want my hair
to be sticky, you know?
See, now I'm stressing
'cause it's raining outside.
(BRIONA SPEAKING)
What's wrong with rain?
-How my hair gonna stay down?
-(MICHELLE SPEAKING)
Well, how about you all
cancel this date
since it's a school night
and do it another night?
(BLESSIN SPEAKING, LAUGHING)
No, let's do it.
(MICHELLE SPEAKING)
Is that paper done?
(BLESSIN SPEAKING)
No, not yet.
Oh, here you go,
my station, right here.
Lo mein, baby.
I want to start off
probably, like,
in Baltimore
and eventually make
my way up to New York.
New York?
New York is the place to be.
Choreography, Broadway.
What? Everybody wants
to move to New York.
Everybody wants to do that.
I'm not saying
you not one in a million.
I'm not saying that.
So what are you saying?
If I couldn't get,
in case of an emergency, that, you know...
That's what I'm saying!
Like, I wouldn't be that far.
Obviously we have
two different views on it.
Our views on what?
Me going to college.
It's not about
you going to college.
You're saying you basically
want me to stay in the city
without just saying
that exact thing.
That's what you want to do,
go ahead.
Go ahead.
That's what you want to do.
Everything that I'm saying, you're just, like,
"But this, but that." "Location."
"You don't have
money for this.
"You don't have
money for that."
If I don't have it,
I'm gonna find a way,
I've been doing it
my whole life.
Well, do it then.
(MILD MUSIC PLAYING
ON SPEAKER)
I will.
All right.
(INDISTINCT SHOUTING
IN HALLWAY)
PAULA: This year,
Blessin was doing really well,
and then she started slipping.
I'm not exactly sure
why or what happened
and, I don't know,
maybe it's that...
Maybe it's that she thinks
she can't get into college,
so what's the point
of even doing well?
Things happen at home.
Things happen outside.
Girlfriends, boyfriends,
all kinds of things and then
we're right back
where we started.
Hello!
Hello! So,
I spoke to your teachers.
-Mmm-hmm.
-Here's what we have.
When we pull up
your progress report,
you have, as of the day
that Mr. Cournoyer had
to submit his grades,
you had a 38.
Are these grades
your best?
Does this show
as good as you are?
No.
Why does the step team
get your best and I don't,
in this building
in a classroom?
I'm trying.
And it's a learning process.
I was where you were.
School is what got me
out of Brooklyn.
College is what's gonna
get you out of Baltimore.
I need to make sure that you are
right when you leave this building.
So understand, am I always
gonna be on your case
until June third? Yes.
Because I expect
more from you. We clear?
All right.
Now I need to go find somebody
to put my makeup on.
I love you dearly
and I'll see you later.
(EXCLAIMS IN FRUSTRATION)
BLESSIN: I have, like,
two people inside of me
that I struggle with
every day.
One Blessin is the Blessin
that is unstoppable,
the Blessin that can
do anything when she put her mind to it.
And the other Blessin is,
she feels lost a lot
and she feels stuck.
COACH G: You want to just do that one
move or you want to do it with her?
-I got it.
-COACH G: Let's see.
Five, six, just you two,
five, six, seven, eight.
You didn't even do that.
Hold on, you ain't do that right.
I know! It's just this...
Blessin! You gotta
not have a bad attitude,
because things
are gonna change.
Hers has changed three times and look
at her. She doesn't look sad.
-Be a leader.
-(BLESSIN SPEAKING)
Okay, Coach, I got it.
COACH G: Let's see.
Five, six...
I'm so disappointed
in Blessin.
Everyone's complaining
about her.
She has a really bad attitude
a lot of the times.
And now it's gotten
to the point where
-she's threatening someone.
-(COACH G SPEAKING)
Excuse me! Excuse me!
She was talking
about it like I have no talent.
The end. It's over.
I said I'm going to break her
and that was rude. How is it over?
She needs to apologize.
Apologize! For what?
You know what, Blessin? You can actually
step outside because you're not listening.
And I will.
I will step outside.
Thank you.
Appreciate it.
COACH G: I think that
she realizes Naysa, Tayla
and a lot of the other girls
are going off to college,
and she has been screwing
around all this time
and now she's seeing,
"Dang, I should've been doing what I
was supposed to be doing.
"I should have been doing
"what Tayla and Naysa
were doing."
(ANSWERING MACHINE BEEPS)
(ON PHONE) Hi, this is Mrs. Bond calling
from the Baltimore Leadership School
for Young Women.
Blessin did not
attend school today.
Please call me back
to let me know that everything is okay.
She said she basically
needed a break,
because she felt like
she would have been too confrontational
if she had gone to school,
and she don't want to mess up,
uh, the work that
she has achieved so far.
When I look at her,
I see myself so much.
But she's doing a wonderful,
wonderful job
at handling it,
because, physically,
I would have beat the shit out of them two
girls by now and anybody else.
That's the only thing
Blessin don't take after me.
And trying to get her
to restrain that is a big part for me.
And that's the truth.
(HUMMING)
GENEVA: So where you been?
What's going on?
You already know
what happened.
GENEVA: Well, I just need
to hear it from your mouth.
I need to hear it
from your mouth.
I told you yesterday,
like,
I see myself beating them up.
Like I told you.
(GENEVA SPEAKING)
But I don't want you
to go there physically.
Yeah! Like, I was really
ready to fight.
Both of them.
Tayla first, then Naysa.
They text, they hang
with each other outside of school.
I'm just irritated as hell,
who am I gonna talk to on the team?
GENEVA: Mmm-hmm.
Which one of them am I gonna
talk to? None of them.
It's annoying,
but it's life.
-I'm fine, Mom.
-I know you are.
-I just hate talking about it, like...
-GENEVA: I know you do.
GIRLS: (SINGING)
Happy birthday, dear Tayla
Happy birthday to you
(INDISTINCT CHATTERING)
It's your birthday.
-"Your."
-(MAISHA SPEAKING)
What was going on yesterday?
Ain't my child,
ain't my problem.
This is my birthday.
Let's talk about me.
MAISHA: But it becomes all of y'all problem,
because like I said before,
there's no "I" in "team".
Y'all are a team.
There's definitely
an "I" in Blessin. In Blessin. Never mind.
MAISHA: It saddens me
for you all to be thinking like that.
Us?
MAISHA: Yes.
The people
that come to practice,
and we don't bring
our problems into practice
and we talk to each other
about our problems.
MAISHA:
Everybody is different.
You never know
what a person is going through.
(NAYSA SPEAKING)
So we're supposed
to figure it out?
I'm not saying
figure it out.
What I'm saying is,
have a little bit more
consideration than
what you all do.
Just be there
as a friend.
(INDISTINCT CHATTERING)
COACH G: I don't know
what more I can say.
I've been pleading
with you all.
'Cause I don't want
you all to go and lose.
We have the material.
Y'all can step!
You want to know
what's stopping y'all if y'all do lose? You!
Next week, like literally one, two, three,
four, five practices, that's it!
That's all you have!
You have an hour
and five practices.
And you can either walk away
with your head down crying,
because y'all came
all the way to Bowie
for the how many
other times and lost.
(GENEVA SPEAKING)
You got some mail
in there from...
BLESSIN: From where?
One of the colleges.
I don't know which one.
(SCOFFS)
Came today.
-For real?
-Mmm-hmm.
I'm scared.
Go open them.
They're right there
on the table.
BLESSIN: Michelle!
GENEVA: Oh.
Potomac just sent me
some mail.
-Potomac University, West Virginia.
-(MICHELLE SPEAKING)
What it say?
I don't know.
I don't want to open it.
Open it.
(MICHELLE ENCOURAGING BLESSIN)
(SIGHS)
(READING) "Thank you for applying to
Potomac State University, West Virginia.
"I regret to inform you
that you,
"that you are unable to...
"That we are unable
to admit you for Fall 2016."
MICHELLE:
What school was that?
GENEVA: Potomac
in West Virginia.
ANDRE: It's not
the end of the world.
BLESSIN: Man, if I could've went and did
that interview, I'd have got in there.
I'm telling you, man,
my people skills are serious.
It's cool though.
'Cause in a few years, they gonna know
that they should have
let me in that university,
'cause I'm gonna make
the whole world know.
(SINGING) Tell 'em I'm your man
You're my girl
(SONG PLAYING ON SPEAKERS)
(EXHALES)
PAULA: So, Miss Blessin,
always a pleasure.
Thank you for sharing,
you know, your Potomac decision with me.
I had already spoken
with Admissions
and asked them if I could send them your
mid-year grades and move you
from that decision
to waitlist. Okay?
(BLESSIN SPEAKING)
Miss Dofat, I don't want
to stay at my mother's house.
I don't... I can't.
I want to go. (CHUCKLES)
It's that time.
I don't want to be home.
Okay. All right.
So, I'll tell you what.
We'll put a couple
of plans in place, and all of those plans
will have you
outside of your home.
So, you're at a 2.67
for the semester.
You should be
proud of yourself.
So you got to stay focused,
stay on this track.
I'm trying.
You're not trying,
you're doing it.
All right, thank you,
Miss Dofat.
-Can I have a hug?
-Yes! All the time.
(INDISTINCT)
(TRIANA SPEAKING)
Seriously, don't overthink.
Just go with the flow of
things. You know, that's my motto.
(CORI SPEAKING)
That was the plan.
-(BOTH LAUGH)
-(TRIANA SPEAKING)
You are my child.
PAULA: So, Johns Hopkins,
we've been waiting since tenth grade,
so let's pull it up
and let's see what we have.
-Oh, my God. Mom, you good?
-TRIANA: No, are you?
-Yeah, yeah. I'm gonna hope I'm good.
-TRIANA: I'm good.
PAULA: Oh, now available.
(GASPS)
I got in!
(WOMEN SHRIEK AND LAUGH)
-Congratulations!
-CORI: I really was not expecting to get in.
Read this out loud.
What does that say?
CORI: (READING)
"As a Baltimore Scholar,
"you'll receive
a full tuition award
"for all four years of your
undergrad study at Hopkins."
TRIANA: Full tuition!
(ALL CHEERING AND LAUGHING)
PAULA: You are so welcome!
TRIANA: See this pat
on my back?
PAULA: Oh, my... Yes!
(LAUGHS)
(CORI SPEAKING)
I'm surprised I got in.
Why, though?
Your scores were high enough
to get into the school.
You know, Hopkins looks for
a certain type of people.
And you're one of them.
And I didn't know I was one of them.
-Changing the game, Cori.
-(CHUCKLES)
Changing the game,
shortie! (LAUGHS)
I don't know if the
words that I know
are adequate enough
to describe how I feel.
(WOMAN AND CHOIR
SINGING GOSPEL MUSIC)
There is always light
at the end of the tunnel.
We are all human,
we all go through things.
The common denominator
between every human is we have problems
and they will keep coming
and so you get up
from that place.
You can't stay there.
God has blessed me.
A lot of parents who
had children my age,
they don't have this story.
(CHUCKLES)
WOMAN: (SINGING)
How great
Is our God?
WOMAN: (THOUGH SPEAKERS) Come on,
just sing, people of God, "How great".
How great is our God.
CHOIR: (SINGING)
Is our God?
WOMAN:
Sing, sing with me
How great...
Hey!
-TAYLA: This is so nice.
-I'm so proud of you!
I have some
fantastic news.
Your niece got accepted
into Alabama A&M.
Ah!
Yeah!
I'm excited.
I'm about to do cartwheels.
No, I need you alive
for when I go.
Um...
You know the thing hang low.
You know it does.
Ah. (SHRIEKS)
TAYLA: She's so excited.
(STOMPING RHYTHMICALLY)
Mom, look.
GRANDMA: (ON PHONE)
You're a smart cookie!
Must take after your grandma.
I take after my mom.
MAISHA: Hey!
Proud Mommy.
GRANDMA: Aren't we all.
Our children did good.
Yeah.
My mommy do good.
Proud daughter.
GRANDMA: Let me call Marla
and see if she's home.
MAISHA: All right.
GIRL: (SINGING)
Goin' on a journey
ALL: (SINGING)
We're goin' on a journey
We're on our way to college
We're on our way to college
And we gonna get there
Hello!
Hey, Miss Blessin.
How are you?
(INDISTINCT INTRODUCTIONS)
PAULA: So the program
that we're talking about is BridgeEdU.
It's a first-year
college program,
and it combines academics,
real-world internships,
and you have coaches
through your academic time there.
-I have a question.
-BLESSIN: Mmm-hmm.
If you could start
your high school over,
what would
you do differently?
First, I would come
every day. Um...
And not only
come physically,
but just be
in class mentally,
and just know what's
going on, be engaged.
Lot of the times when I didn't
understand exactly what was going on,
I would just shut down
or I just wouldn't be there.
And then once I got my first report card
back that I actually tried on,
it just gave me a good feeling,
and I don't want to let it go.
I want to keep persevering.
I want to keep seeing what I can offer,
what I can do.
What can I learn?
We're gonna see where this goes.
We don't know, but, um,
we're gonna put it in
and we're gonna go for it.
Thank you so much.
Nice meeting you.
JUANITA S. BELLAMY:
You're welcome. Nice meeting you.
BLESSIN: Have a great day.
I'm gonna say this to you
in all honesty,
and understand,
I'm not trying to put pressure on you,
but this program
is truly what she needs.
If this girl doesn't
get in this program...
JUANITA: We understand.
I don't know...
We understand.
She's made her mistakes,
she's done her stuff, but...
I'm just saying, if we don't
come together for this,
this girl is not
gonna make it.
Thank you.
So, I'm just asking, please,
to really, really consider...
This is so unprofessional.
I'm so sorry.
(INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS)
COACH G: What are you doing?
I'm filling out...
Okay, so,
I got into this
program, well... Mmm...
God willing,
I got into the program,
but yesterday,
I had an interview...
You're applying
for a program?
BLESSIN: Yes. BridgeEdU.
I was thinking, like, okay, so what if I really
gotta stay at my mother's house?
-What's gonna be that change for me?
-That's the struggle!
High school,
I completely messed up.
-I wasn't even in school.
-You dropped out?
I dropped out. Yes.
And when I got
my head on my shoulders, like, dang!
I really shouldn't
have messed up.
I really should've
been buckled down.
That's where I'm at right now.
I'm at that point right now.
I can tell.
I can tell it's hard,
but you have to know
it's not too late.
I genuinely
did not know, like,
that you stopped school
and then...
Mmm-hmm.
You did all of that.
Like, I want to do that.
Like, I really do want to do
exactly what you did.
Do better.
Do better.
BLESSIN: "It is never too late
to make a turnaround.
"I have made contributions
to my school environment,
"including being a founder,
the founder,
"of the step team at BLSYW.
"I will be the first person
in my family to go to college
"and I will be
more than honored
"to join the BridgeEdU...
-Family.
-"...family."
This is good.
COACH G: Listen up!
I need everybody
over here around this mat.
The only way this is gonna make it
in the show is if we work together
and you all be safe
and practice technique.
Our arms are tight, right?
Whose hand is
in my spine? Move it now!
ADAJAH: I'm slipping.
(ALL CONVERSING INDISTINCTLY)
(SHRIEKS)
ALL: Ten, 11!
COACH G: Breathe!
Let's go, ladies,
let's go!
(INDISTINCT SHOUTING)
(GROANS)
COACH G: Good.
Good!
Yes, ladies.
BLESSIN: If you feel
comfortable you can scoot
it over a little bit,
but just not in the back.
COACH G: So where do the knees need to go
for it to feel comfortable?
Mine's right here.
Being with them,
little did they know it or not,
it really was just
something that I needed.
Okay, this is a lot better.
They never let me forget,
like, Blessin,
you know, it's not
too late to fix that
and, you know, start over.
COACH G: Good job, Blessin.
Naysa, yes!
Go ahead, Amanda!
Okay, Najia!
That's what I'm talking about.
Oh, my God,
I can't concentrate, you all look so good!
Give me life!
Good job!
Yes!
Good!
Great job!
Guys, let's go!
I need y'all to gather around
for one second.
All right, I need to get
one more run-through.
This is the last time
you all stepping.
The literally last time
you stepping for Bowie
before you hit the stage.
From Baltimore Leadership
School for Young Women,
(GIRL WHOOPING)
the Lethal Ladies
of BLSYW Step Team!
ALL: I bet you remember.
I bet you remember.
COACH G: That's what
I'm talking about!
Go Kiante! Go Kiante!
Go Kiante!
ALL: Do you remember the time?
We're gonna win.
So let's talk about what we're gonna
wear tomorrow walking in.
'Cause what did you
all, like...
Like a lot of the girls' teams, they always
coordinated like the whole thing.
They come in
with their leggings on,
their representative shirts,
like their heels on.
All together in a straight
line, look like a parade.
I think that we got something
that will work for everyone.
And that will be
what Ms. Hamilton is wearing.
(ALL CLAMORING AND SHOUTING)
You get a tracksuit!
You get a tracksuit!
You get a tracksuit!
(ALL CHATTERING EXCITEDLY)
Let's practice walking in.
-Five, six...
-AMANDA: What we doin'?
We walkin'. Five, six...
Play the music.
(RAP MUSIC STARTS PLAYING)
COACH G: All right,
walk like this.
And point like,
"You all know us."
You all know us!
You all gotta point like,
"You all know us!
You all know us!"
Throw these up.
We back! We back!
We got a new coach!
We back!
(RAP MUSIC CONTINUES PLAYING)
MAN: (SINGING) Yeah, yeah
I'm from Baltimore,
you say you was, I never seen you
What part you on?
I got some family on The Alameda
I love my city,
ask about me and I bet they know me
My name good in any hood
I hung around Tivoly
I got a...
that live on Appleton she love them killers
When I re-up
I hit my partner...
BLESSIN: Real dramatic
stage makeup.
My uncle Jimmy 'round
the corner on the avenue
You baller blocking that's
the type of shit I never do
BLESSIN: All right,
next person!
...you know what
kind of shit I'm on
But I be everywhere
I sold drugs in Woodlawn
I know some...down the hill
that got it for the low
I live in Bird City...
You already know
(AUDIENCE CHEERING)
(MAN TALKING INDISTINCTLY
OVER SPEAKERS)
(AUDIENCE CHEERING)
(MEN CHANTING ON TV)
(APPLAUDING AND CHEERING)
All right, let's go,
ladies. Let's go!
NAJIA: Lethal...
ALL: ...Ladies!
NAJIA: Lethal...
ALL: ...Ladies!
ALL: LLOB!
(ALL WHOOPING)
(MAN TALKING INDISTINCTLY
ON SPEAKERS)
(COACH G SPEAKING)
You all got this. Don't forget your marks.
Don't forget your marks. Let's take this W.
Ladies and gentlemen,
would you please welcome LLOB!
(ALL CHEERING)
We are...
ALL: BLSYW step team,
all right, all right, all right.
BLSYW step team,
all right, all right,
all right.
Lethal Ladies!
(AUDIENCE CHEERING)
Lethal Ladies!
(AUDIENCE CHEERING)
COACH G: Go, ladies!
(AUDIENCE CHEERING)
(AUDIENCE CHEERING)
STEP TEAM: (CHANTING)
That's for sure.
That the Lethal Ladies
of BLSYW
are the ones
you can't resist.
Sisterhood and integrity,
you mess with my sister
and you mess with me.
We step with soul,
we step with pride.
Lethal Ladies
till the day we die.
(AUDIENCE CHEERING
AND APPLAUDING)
COACH G: Y'all killed it!
Y'all killed it.
Y'all killed it.
(YELLS)
Y'all did good.
WOMAN: (THROUGH SPEAKERS) There's
a lot of girl power on this stage tonight.
Our third-place team
with a high score of 760 points,
Charles Herbert Flowers
High School.
(ALL CHEERING)
Our second-place winners,
who get a check for $500, is
Paint Branch High School!
(ALL CHEERING)
And our first-place winner
with a high score of 803
and the winner of $1,000,
the Lethal Ladies
BLSYW step team!
(ALL CHEERING)
(RAP MUSIC PLAYING)
(SINGING) I'm from Baltimore,
you say you was, I never seen you
What part you on?
I got some family on The Alameda
I love my city,
ask about me and I bet they know me
My name good in any hood
I hung around Tivoly
I got a...
that live on Appleton she love them killers
When I re-up
I hit my partner them in Garden Village
My uncle Jimmy 'round
the corner on the avenue
You baller blocking that's
the type of shit I never do
I'm from the east side
you know what kind of...I'm on
But I be everywhere
I sold drugs in Woodlawn
I know some...
down the hill that got it for the low
I live in Bird City...
You already know
And I don't go nowhere
unless a...strapped up
And if you...a Morgan...
You better strap up
It's been a long road.
Long road
from stomping in the kitchen
to bringing home
the bacon!
Right! We showed them!
(ALL CONVERSING EXCITEDLY)
BLESSIN: Step is definitely something
that can help you, because it helped me.
Step taught me discipline.
Step taught me to be courageous.
Make people smile, make people
laugh, make people want to dance.
Step gave me a mission,
that if you come together
with a group
of powerful women,
the impact will be immense.
And I'm very happy
to be a part of that.
(HORNS HONKING)
(INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS)
MAISHA: Oh, my gosh,
Tayla. You ready?
This is it.
We thank You, Father God,
that Cori is strong
in her mind,
in her spirit, in her body.
It's all because
of Your grace,
it's all because
of Your glory.
(INSPIRATIONAL MUSIC PLAYING)
(SINGING) Feel the sound
(AUDIENCE CHEERING)
Of your heartbeat
Daring love
CHEVONNE HALL:
To the class of 2016, I say congratulations.
100% of you were
accepted into college, and let's be clear,
that does not happen in all
schools in the United States.
(ALL CHEERING)
CORI: Good evening, everyone.
We stand here today on the
precipice of the future.
It's not a distant
reality anymore.
We began high school
as children,
but we're leaving here
as adults,
or at least something
pretty close to it.
The future is truly in our hands,
so let's make the most of it.
-Thank you.
-(ALL CHEERING)
Cori Danielle Grainger.
Naysa Priscilla Reames.
Domonique Imani Hall.
Kiante Corone Moore.
Najia Quonya Johnson.
Amanda Gabrielle Leonard.
Yakema Chantelle
Rosland Barkley.
Diamond Monique Cache Hill.
Tyrina Teresa Sneed.
Tamar Denae Dennis.
Tayla Denise Solomon.
That's my baby!
WOMAN:
Blessin Sierria Giraldo.
It is my pleasure
to congratulate the founding class
of the Baltimore Leadership
School for Young Women.
The class of 2016.
(ALL CHEERING)
Mama! I graduated!
-GENEVA: I love you so much.
-I love you, too.
So happy!
You're so dramatic.
Are you crying?
-Give me my baby!
-Okay.
To know how it feels to fly
Together we can go high
Stronger, deeper
Light my fire
Even though
the world is cold
Even when the world is cold
You can stand on my shoulder
Can't keep sitting down
Get up, spread your magic
all around
It's not brave
if you're not afraid
Trust the light,
it'll lead the way
You gotta fight
if you wanna win
If you fall,
get up and start again
To make it to the other side
It's not brave
if you're not afraid
To get to
the other side, jump
Ooh
(BOTH LAUGHING)
(CHANTING INDISTINCTLY)
P-R-E-C...
(VOCALIZING)
(INSPIRATIONAL SONG PLAYING)
(SINGING) Don't look down
Feel the sound
Of your heartbeat
Daring love
It's not brave
If you're not afraid
To set darkness ablaze
And light up like faith
You got to jump
Go jump
'Cause the whole
world's waiting
No more hesitating, jump
Oh, jump
We want to be
As born in belief, jump
Oh, jump
To get to
the other side, jump
To know how it feels to fly,
jump
Together we can go high
Stronger, deeper,
light my fire
Even though
the world is cold
You can stand on my shoulder
Can't keep sitting down
Get up, spread your magic
all around
Ooh
Jump
'Cause the whole
world's waiting, jump
No more hesitating
Jump
Oh, jump
Oh, jump
Who you wanna be
Jump
When your knees are shaking
When your heart is racing
Jump
Oh, jump
Jump
There's no guarantees
That you'll land on your feet
Just jump
Oh, jump
To get to the other side
Get to the other side
To know how it feels to fly,
jump
Together we can go high
Stronger, deeper,
light my fire
Even though
the world is cold
The world is colder
You can stand on my shoulder
On my shoulder
Can't keep sitting down
Get up,
spread your magic all around
What do you got to know?
What have you got to lose?
Jump
It's your move
Ooh
Captioned by Deluxe