BELL AND MINTY (aka Harriet and Sojourner aka Isabella and Araminta aka Truth and Tubman aka Moses and Sojourner)
This is the story about the statues of Araminta "Minty" Ross (aka Harriet "Moses" Tubman) and Sojourner "Bell" Truth, who come to life and team up with Frederick Douglass to go on a quest to find Sojourner’s lost “Book Of Life”.
Summary: One moonlit night in December at the African American History Museum, the statues of Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, and Sojourner Truth get their long awaited superpowers, and come back to life. Every night, Sojourner shares her power and brings her fellow statues to life by telling them a story from her “Book of Life”, a precious keepsake that contains the autographs of many distinguished persons that she met during her life.
And then the Book of Life goes missing.
Sojourner turns to her friend Frederick Douglass, who in turn, asks his friend Harriet “Minty” Tubman to lead them on an adventure through time and place to find The Book Of Life.
Before they can retrieve The Book, Frederick goes missing! Together, Sojourner and Harriet must use their wits to find Frederick and the Book, and return to the museum.
ACT ONE
“One of humanity's greatest victories [..] won in the ceaseless battle against time, [was] when we learned how to write.
Death could no longer silence us.
Writing gave us the power to reach across the millennia and speak inside the heads of the living.
We still read [..] and with every reader, [they] live[] again.” - Neil DeGrasse Tyson, Cosmos Season 1, Ep 11 “The Immortals”
DECEMBER 21, 2020.
EXT. THREE STORY HISTORY MUSEUM IN A BUSTLING CITY. DUSK.
The north star shines impossibly bright next to a clear white full moon hanging in a vibrant pink and red sunset sky.
The moonlight illuminates the silhouette of the majestic museum.
INT. FIRST FLOOR, MUSEUM. JUST BEFORE CLOSING TIME.
A security guard hides in the cold and drafty shadows of several tall stone statues of old white men: George Washington, a mini version of Roosevelt statute from Natural History Museum; Abraham Lincoln, etc. They form a line on each side of the grand entrance, their shadows stretch across the floor.
A handful of patrons casually finish the “America at 250: Her Heroes” exhibition before exiting.
SCHOOL GROUP (V.O.)
OOOH. OOH! Here she is.
Miss Joanne, Miss Joanne can we do
our poem before we leave?
The children, loudly, sing-songy and in semi-unison.
SCHOOL GROUP (V.O.)
Harriet Tubman didn't take no stuff
She wasn't scared of nothing
neither...
Past the statues, a grand spiral staircase leads to the lower level.
INT. STAIRCASE.
SCHOOL GROUP (V.O.)
Didn't come in this world to be no
slave
And wasn't going to stay one
either..
On the walls along the staircase, portraits of famous white woman and suffragists smile triumphantly....
INT. LOWER LEVEL, SLAVE EXHIBITION. EVENING - CONTINUOUS.
The American Slavery exhibition is warmly lit and almost inviting. The warmth of the space in sharp contrast to the horrors of history on the walls.
INT. HARRIET TUBMAN STATUE, SLAVERY EXHIBIT, LOWER LEVEL OF MUSEUM. EVENING - CONTINUOUS.
A group of spirited kindergarten-aged black and brown children give life to the room. They hold hands and dance, separating for loosely choreographed hand gestures around a 5 ft stone statue of HARRIET TUBMAN (40s, a humble-faced woman with a permanently shrewd expression etched into her face. Wavy slicked back hair pulled into a low bun, dressed in a long-sleeved, floor length dark dress) stands on a tall statue base.
SCHOOL GROUP V.O (CONT'D)
"Farewell!" she sang to her friends one night
She was mighty sad to leave 'em..
INT. EMANCIPATION HALL, CAPITOL VISITOR CENTER. EVENING - CONTINUOUS.
Moonlight touches the feet of a marble, life-sized statue of a stoic-faced FREDERICK DOUGLASS (50s, afro, handsome, full beard, wearing a suit that is carefully chiseled into his cold marble body).
SCHOOL GROUP
But she ran away that dark, hot
night
Ran looking for her freedom....
INT. HARRIET TUBMAN, SLAVERY EXHIBIT. EVENING - CONTINUOUS. The children’s energy rises.
TEACHER (20-something) stands off to the side, watching their routine, reading her horoscope on her phone.
(On the screen: Your
supermoon horoscope for
December 21, 2020. This
full moon horoscope is
all about finding your
north star and coming
into your magic...)
Teacher looks up from her phone, she’s proud of their performance and amused by their late day energy, smiling peacefully at the idea of a quiet bus ride home. Her smile grows. #mood.
SCHOOL GROUP (CONT’D)
She ran to the woods and she ran
through the woods
With the slave catchers right
behind her
And she kept on going till she got
to the North
Where those mean men couldn't find
her...
INT. SUPERCUT OF IMAGES.
Statues, colorful portraits and instagram photos of nineteen famous black activists and abolitionists (past and present): anna murray douglass, coretta scott king, sojourner truth, tamika malloy, frederick douglass, ida b wells, rosa parks, etc.
SCHOOL GROUP (V.O.)
Nineteen times she went back South
To save three hundred others
She ran for her freedom nineteen
times
To save Black sisters and
brothers...
INT. HARRIET TUBMAN STATUE, SLAVERY EXHIBIT.
The children stand in a loose circle surrounding the Harriet Tubman statue, breathlessly finishing their grand
performance.
SCHOOL GROUP
Harriet Tubman didn't take no stuff
She wasn't scared of nothing neither
Didn't come in this world to be no
slave
And wasn’t gon’ stay one either
The children finish, breathless, facing Harriet. They look around at each other with beaming smiles.
Teacher applauds. She rallies the students.
TEACHER
Good job everyone! That was such a
good job!
Now, let’s get ready to go.
Teacher motions for the children to leave. The children GROAN in protest.
TEACHER (CONT’D)
C’mon, hurry up! The museum is
closing soon.
Let’s find our buddies and our
coats.
The children relent and break the circle, scurrying around the room to find their buddies and coats. They line up in pairs behind Teacher, holding their buddies’ hands. Teacher counts the pairs carefully, and leads them out of the exhibition.
INT. HARRIET TUBMAN, SLAVERY EXHIBIT. NIGHT.
Moonlight washes over Harriet’s statue from a large window, putting a spotlight on her frame.
Harriet blinks.
Her cold stone features soften and fade gently into rich brown tones. Her clothes turn from stone to cloth. The stone waves of her hair melt into soft black afro waves.
Harriet smiles faintly. She slowly shakes her shoulders, stretches her arms, and wiggles her fingers. She lets out a small YAWN.
HARRIET
Ah, it never gets old.
Harriet picks up one leg at a time and eases herself down from her sculpture base. She slowly walks to a window to catch a glimpse of her reflection. She inspects herself carefully.
INT. EMANCIPATION HALL, CAPITOL VISITOR CENTER. NIGHT - CONTINUOUS.
The long light of the moon spotlights Frederick, showering him in a majestic light.
Frederick’s mouth moves.
His cold marble fades into rich mahogany tones. His clothes fade from white marble into a black suit and white button down shirt. His afro and beard turn salt and pepper.
Frederick looks down at himself. He brushes his clothes off. Frederick picks up his left foot, then his right. He tests a couple deep knee squats. He’s satisfied with his motor skills. He exits the room, a faint metal PING sound echoing with each step...
INT. HARRIET TUBMAN, SLAVERY EXHIBIT. NIGHT - CONTINUOUS.
Harriet is still admiring herself. She likes what they’ve done with her statue.
She’s so distracted by her reflection that she doesn’t hear the faint metal PING of feet connecting with the stone floors...
Enter Frederick. He’s a little salty.
FREDERICK
Hmph. Maybe not for you.
Harriet is a bit startled, but tries not to show it. She recovers into her familiar scowl. She looks over her shoulder at Frederick.
Beat.
Frederick walks to Harriet. Harriet turns to Frederick.
HARRIET
You just mad ‘cause after all those
speeches you gave and all those
papers you wrote, the children are
reciting a poem about me. Ha!
Harriet turns back to the mirror.
Beat.
Frederick is saltier.
FREDERICK
Tuh. Whatever Minty.
Frederick stands next to Harriet. He looks himself over in the mirror. Frederick GRUNTS, he’s not quite feeling his look. He adjusts his clothes in vain.
Harriet steps into the moonlight. She basks in it, soaks it in. She takes a deep breath and EXHALES.
Ahhhhh.
HARRIET
This moon. That poem. They give me
life.
Frederick touches his face. He gets closer to the window.
FREDERICK
Ion like what they did to my face.
Harriet stops in her tracks. She side eyes Frederick and shakes her head.
Beat.
Harriet stretches her arms and starts twirling again.
HARRIET
I’m just glad the full moon came
through like they said. I was
getting a little worried for a
moment.
Frederick turns away from the mirror, disgusted. He finds a place in the moonlight to stand, holding his hands behind his back, shoulders back, perfect posture. He’s always photo ready. And looks like he’s about to practice a speech...
FREDERICK
Speaking of being alive, heard
there’s going be a new exhibit
upstairs with only statues of black
people.
Harriet stops twirling. She faces Frederick.
HARRIET
Say what now?
Frederick adjusts into a slightly different camera ready pose.
Beat.
He winds up to deliver a grand and pompous speech to an invisible audience.
FREDERICK
Indeed.You know I have always thought that every park and museum would be much
improved by more dignified monuments and statues dedicated to
people like us.
Harriet rolls her eyes, slumps her shoulders and sighs.
HARRIET
How many of them speeches did you
memorize, Freddie?
Beat.
FREDERICK
Not enough.
Beat.
Harriet sighs and rolls her eyes.
HARRIET
You think we’ll be in there?
Finally get up out this basement?
FREDERICK
I don’t see why not.
HARRIET
I don’t mind it down here, but ion like being underground for too long
either.
FREDERICK
I think we belong in there as much
as anyone else.
HARRIET
You ain’t got to convince me,
Freddie. It’s them.
Harriet looks at Frederick. She points, breaking the fourth wall.
Beat.
FREDERICK
All the great men and women of our time and the generations before and
after deserve it. That reminds me, I need to dig up
that letter I wrote to you. I should add it to my collection for
the exhibit.
HARRIET
I never understood why you sent it
to me. You know I can’t read.
Harriet feels a bit dejected at the thought of not being able to read.
Frederick is still in speech mode. Very dramatic.
FREDERICK
Because writing gives us the power
to speak inside the heads of the
living.
Harriet rolls her eyes, shakes her head. She points to her head.
HARRIET
Ion need no more voices in my head, Freddie.
Beat.
Harriet squints, she scowls.
HARRIET (CONT’D)
Hmph. Who else you think gon’ be
there? You know ion like all of
your friends.
Harriet scowls even harder.
HARRIET (CONT’D)
I’m not tryna be stuck in a room
with some of them for too long....
Beat.
INT. SOJOURNER TRUTH STATUE IN THE SLAVERY EXHIBIT MUSEUM. NIGHT.
Moonlight creeps into the center of the room through a window.
A low HUM of mumbled, indistinct conversations vibrates in the air.
Bronze and stone statues of various genders and sizes stand in the moonlight forming a small circle.
The statues surround a ten foot tall, copper colored statue of SOJOURNER TRUTH (elder age unknown, wearing small framed glasses, a turban covering her hair, ankle length dress and a shawl). Even though she is made of stone, her features are soft, her expression is warm and inviting. She is the American Sybil.
An unnamed statue speaks to no one in particular.
RANDOM STATUE
I wonder what story she’s gonna
tell us tonite...
INT. ON THE WALLS, THE MAIN ROOM. NIGHT - CONTINUOUS.
Along the walls of the exhibit, the portraits of black people turn towards Sojourner.
A portrait of ANNA MURRAY DOUGLASS (40s, soft gentle, stoic, reserved smile) hangs on the wall. Moonlight kisses Anna’s portrait, her smile widens.
Frederick pokes his head out of Anna’s portrait and he turns to the center of the room. Anna joins him in the frame.
INT. UNKNOWN SLAVERY EXHIBITION. NIGHT - CONTINUOUS.
In a dark corner, a statue of “Slave Unknown” aka MATTHEWS, early 40s, bald, sinister fellow with five o’clock shadow stands among other nameless slave statues, all slightly turned away from the center of the room.
INT. SOJOURNER TRUTH STATUE. NIGHT - CONTINUOUS.
Moonlight casts a spotlight on Sojourner. Sojourner’s mouth moves. Her stone turns to flesh. Her full lips curl into a warm smile. The stone turban turns to soft white cotton, a long light colored dress and white shawl cover her slender frame.
Sojourner adjusts her small wire frame glasses on her face with her long bony left hand. In her right hand she holds the BOOK OF LIFE, a small worn red leather bound book with an embossed photo of herself on the back cover.
Sojourner looks down at the circle and beams.
She speaks loudly, in a deep resonating voice with a distinct Dutch accent.
SOJOURNER
....It was time for my freedom. I knew it was time and I wasn’t going
to wait for anyone to give it to me.
I got up one morning and just
decided to go.
INT. UNKNOWN SLAVERY EXHIBITION. NIGHT - CONTINUOUS.
Moonlight touches the feet of two nameless slave statues. They wiggle their toes and shake their heads. They look at each other, smile, and embrace, happy to be alive. Together, they skip to the outer edge of the circle surrounding Sojourner.
Moonlight barely touches Matthews. Matthews’ toe moves, but remains in stone. He’s disgusted. He watches the two nameless statues skip away. He begrudgingly and heavily walks his stone frame over to the edge of the circle.
INT. ANNA'S PORTRAIT. NIGHT - CONTINUOUS.
Frederick steps out of Anna’s portrait and walks to the edge of the circle, leaving Anna braiding the hair of ANNIE DOUGLASS (8, Frederick and Anna’s daughter).
INT. EDGE OF THE CIRCLE. NIGHT - CONTINUOUS.
Frederick stands at the edge of the circle, observing. Matthews walks up to Frederick.
INT. SOJOURNER TRUTH STATUE. NIGHT - CONTINUOUS.
Sojourner walks around the circle, acting out each element of the story, using the Book as a prop. Her presence captivates the audience.
SOJOURNER
I walked right off my master's land. By the light of dawn.
Carrying my baby in my arms. She would tell you herself, but she was
too young to remember.
The audience LAUGHS.