The Color of Friendship (2000 TV Movie)

Lindsey Haun: Mahree Bok

Photos 

Quotes 

• [Mahree just found out that her host family is black] 

  Mahree Bok : [to Roscoe and Piper]  You're the family?

  Roscoe Dellums : [nodding]  Yes.

  Mahree Bok : [to Congressman Dellums]  And you're the Congressman?

  Ron Dellums : [forcing a smile]  Welcome to America.

• Piper Dellums : I like them, but are they first day of school shoes or, or What do you think?

  Mahree Bok : They're nice.

  Piper Dellums : I know they're nice, but, are they first day of school nice or, Second day they're okay, don't mind they get scuffed up that way shoes?

  Mahree Bok : I don't know, I don't have these kinds of problems back home.

  Piper Dellums : You don't wear shoes in Dundy?

  Mahree Bok : We'll sure we do. but they're all alike, all students wear uniforms.

  Piper Dellums : No way! like Catholic school?

  Mahree Bok : Like all the schools, it's just the way it is, all the way up to seven and ten when you were trick.

  Piper Dellums : Are we talking English here? Or South African E?

  Mahree Bok : Extended tenth to twelfth grade and to matriculate means to graduate

  Piper Dellums : Okay?

  Mahree Bok : So I don't have to wear a uniform. Well, not unless my school changed the dress code over the summer.

  Piper Dellums : Your school. I'm going to your school? Yeah what did you think you were going?

  Mahree Bok : Not to a Bantu school.

  Piper Dellums : What?

  Mahree Bok : What?

  Piper Dellums : Bantu. You call this school Bantu. Does that mean nigger?

  Mahree Bok : No, no, in Africans bantu means negro, or black. Kappa means nigger which I never say which you'd be banned too in my country, maybe even colored never Kaffir. At least not to me.

  Piper Dellums : Kaffir banned to colored, they all mean black people?

  Mahree Bok : Well not colored technically.

  Piper Dellums : How many different words do they have for whites?

  Mahree Bok : Just, white.

  Piper Dellums : Okay.

  [Piper Dellums gets off the bed] 

• Mahree Bok : That embassy felt like a prison, and outside, it was like a war zone, police, demonstrators, the phones ringing off the hook, I was so glad to get out of there.

  Piper Dellums : Can I come visit you?

  Mahree Bok : Visit me? What are you talking about? I'm here.

  Piper Dellums : No, no I mean when you go back home.

  Mahree Bok : You mean to South Africa?

  Piper Dellums : That's where you live isn't it? Can I come stay with you for a few weeks? Or months you know. Student exchange?

  Mahree Bok : Yeah, sure. Sigh, I still don't know what all that craziness is about?

  Piper Dellums : Steven Biko.

  Mahree Bok : Yeah, Biko! Who cares! Just some crazy terrorist who killed himself.

  Piper Dellums : Anyone who knows right from wrong would care! And Biko didn't kill himself, the police killed him!

  Mahree Bok : Who told you that?

  Piper Dellums : The whole world knows it, just turn on the news! South African police beat him and tried to hide it when he died! Pigs!

  Mahree Bok : The police are not pigs! My father is not a pig!

  Piper Dellums : Oh yeah, then why don't you ask him how Biko died!

  Mahree Bok : I don't have to ask him! Mr. Biko was a common criminal, you Americans are calling him a thug!

  Piper Dellums : Whatever you want to call him. He was a man fighting for justice, just like my father. And you know, if I was Biko's daughter.

  Mahree Bok : You don't know what you're talking about! You don't know what it's like being outnumbered by!

  Piper Dellums : By what? Black people! Kaffirs! Do you have any black friends at home Mahree?

  Mahree Bok : Yes! Yes as a matter of fact, I do, I have Flora, Flora is my friend! My best friend!

  Piper Dellums : Flora is your maid! If you stopped paying her! Do you think she'd stick around? Or maybe don't even pay her! Maybe she's your slave!

  Mahree Bok : You've got it all wrong! And don't say that about Flora!

  Piper Dellums : Who has it all wrong? Me and the rest of the world Mahree! Or you and your racist South African people! Whether you want to admit it or not, you know I'm right. Why else do you think your own Government would hide books and movies and stupid TV shows from it's own people! What are they so afraid of? And why were they so afraid of you staying here?

  Mahree Bok : If you didn't want me here, All you had to do was to say so!

  [Mahree storms out of the bedroom and goes downstairs out the front door]