- David Lee: Miss Johnson? Don't you teach in your school about folk who ain't dead?
- Camille: Sure! Here's one about a man who's very much alive. Dr. William E.B. DuBois.
- David Lee: What does he talk about?
- Camille: Here, I'll read something he said:
- [reading from "Of the Training of Black Men"]
- Camille: "The longing of black men must have respect."
- [pauses to explain to David Lee]
- Camille: Which means a man and a woman are human and must be treated that way.
- [continues reading]
- Camille: "The rich and bitter depth of their experience, the unknown treasures of their inner life, the strange rendings of nature they have seen, may give the world new points of view and make their loving, living, and doing precious to all human hearts. And to themselves in these days that try their souls, the chance to soar in the dim blue air above smoke is to their finer spirits boon and guerdon for what they lose on earth by being black."
- David Lee: You're a nice lady, Miss Johnson.
- Nathan Lee: You know, son: there ain't no dog as good as Sounder. In all the years we've been tracking coons and possums in these woods, he ain't never tore one of 'em up yet. No, he always brought 'em back whole and healthy. Now you see? Now that's the difference between a hound dog that's mean and dirty, to one that's great - like old Sounder here.
- Teacher: Now where were we, before we were interrupted? Oh, yeah. 'Huckleberry Finn', Chapter 34. This chapter is called, "We Cheer Up Jim." Here we go: Tom says: "What's the vittles for? Going to feed the dogs?" The "colored boy kind of smiled around gradually over his face, and says: "Yes, Mars Sid. A dog."
- Sheriff Young: I'll be damned if I'm going to jeopardize my job just because you're in love with a little colored boy!
- Josie Mae: Lord, if this wasn't a Sunday, I do believe I'd do a dance to that music Ike's playing.
- Nathan Lee: Oh, go on, Harriet, and shake them feet. God ain't looking!
- Josie Mae: Now, I might be a country woman, but I ain't no fool!
- David Lee: Brought your laundry, Ms. Boatwright.
- Mrs. Boatwright: Oh. Come on in, children! Come on in. Put it right up here on the table, David. Thanks. Yeah. You tell Rebecca there ain't a Chinaman in all this world to beat her ironing.
- Rebecca: [at bedime] I bet you could use a hot cup of coffee.
- [laughs]
- Nathan Lee: I sure could, Miss Rebecca...
- Rebecca: Oh, Nathan Lee...
- Nathan Lee: When the night comes in these parts, that old moon runs like a scared rabbit. You can stay out here all night just lookin' and not see a thing out yonder.
- Nathan Lee: But, like I always say...
- David Lee: "You lose some of the time what you always go after; but, you lose all the time what you don't go after."
- Nathan Lee: Now, who says I didn't put my mark on you, boy?
- [laughs]
- Nathan Lee: You know, when I got this leg hurt, I was down in this rock quarry and all of a sudden there was this dynamite blast coming at me with the kind of force to kill 10 men. Well, so I - I got out the way of most of them rocks, faster than the lightning in God's mind, 'cause I made it up in my head, just that quick, that I was gonna beat the death that was coming at me. Well, that's what I'm going to do with this trouble in my leg. I'm gonna beat it. Ain't nothing left for me to do but to beat it. But that's what I want you to do. I want you to beat the life they got all laid out for you in this place, cause they ain't nothing here, ain't nobody here but them bastards that sent me... Son, don't get too used to this place.
- Ike: [singing] Going to the country, Mama don't you want to go? Going to the country, Mama don't you want to go? Going to the country, Mama don't you want to go?