I missed the episode. Looks like mixed opinions in here on it
The episode didn’t have a message but it was letting the younger generation know about the Freedom Riders and what they went thru. I know PBS shows a documentary about the Freedom Riders and basically what happened in the episode as far as what they faced was true. They had their buses shot at (not like last night though), set on fire, had the klan chase them in their cars, and physically attack them. So I understood the episode because I knew about the Freedom Riders but I can also understand if others didn’t understand it the way I did.
I still like them using Dennis Haysbert as the voice for the preacher. He’s a good voice-over actor but I would have lost it if Keith David had done the preacher’s voice. LOL!!
Thats not a message, thats just a comedic jab. Within the context of the “Freedom Riders” during the jim crow era, meeting violence with violence would do nothing more then ensure their deaths/arrest, reaffirm false negative racial stereotypes held by racist, and make them look bad nationally. Are there holes in the philosophy of pacifism? Maybe, but within the context of these events that they were writing about, pacifism was the best choice for the “Freedom Riders”, and for black americans in general back then. Not to mention, there simply was no message against non violence at all, and no message in general. Freeman basically kicked ass, then got his ass kicked, and they got on the bus and moved on. lol
They didnt really hammer down on any message about “god” or “negro spirituals” though. They were just kind of background jokes (like how they kept doing that random “good times” theme shit in like episode 2 to the point of overdoing it), as there was no “i told you so” moment that made you think, “haha, yeah. god and negro spirituals cant help everything, sometimes you gotta do it yourself”. I guess one could argue that freeman fighting back was the response to negro spirituals, pacifism and waiting on god, but that was just poor writing to begin with, as his violent outburst served no purpose other then to write a cool ass fight scene (fight scene was dope).
There writing team hit some good things, and then they just drown out their good shit with dumb shit. If i were writing this episode, id give it this simple break down
[details=Spoiler]1) What am i writing about? Freedom Riders
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Whats the message? How irrational the racism was towards black americans, especially in the south during the jim crow era. (They didnt choose this message, or one at all for the most part. A lot of education and comedy could have came from this type of message)
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What do we also learn besides racism is bad? We learn about the Freedom Riders, their names, their philosophies, and their goals. We learn the states these events were in, and the type of vitriol that existed then. We learn about segregation. We learn about pacificsm and its strength, especially during a time where violence would only beget more violence. We also learn about the “political air” at the time towards this issue of civil rights.
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What are our “what if” jokes? What if the bus of freedom riders had a “super brotha” on it that was immuned to physical attacks, and was a super pacifist. What if Freeman got on the wrong bus, and thats how he ended up with the freedom riders. What if the only reason he stayed on the bus was because of a lady, because he is always chasing booty. When they are taking volunteers, what if Robert Freeman is the guy who volunteers to abide by the segregation rules of the south (because hes so scared) so not everyone gets arrested, and there is someone to help them out, outside of jail. The list goes on
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What do we not overdue? Racial slurs, Ruckus, Freeman being an uncle tom, shitting on the Freedom Riders.
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What are our in general jokes?
Thats about it, easy outline. They got it right with freeman getting on the wrong bus due to running from that white dude because he used a whites only bathroom. You have segregation, and a joke on how freeman actually came to be on the bus. They went too far left in making freeman a hella uncle tom while on the bus, while they should have had him blindly booty chasing like he always does. I would have had super brotha involved in most of the violence, even having a scene where they throw molotov cocktails at him and light him on fire, but he keeps on walking forward unharmed, leading to ruckus saying, "What the hell, hes walking through fire, is that black nigga, jesus (in his higher pitched voice)? Impossible, jesus is a glorious white man with hair thick like sheeps wool, and skin the color of brass (get the joke here), this nigga here is just one of those african jungle wizards that are immuned to fire. "
There is more i wouldve done, but im not gonna write up the whole episode on here, that was just a quick little off the top of the dome thing. I said my piece earlier, i just thought the episode was weak suace. EH[/details]
Super brotha holding robert back all the time was entertaining, but the context could have been different. when super brotha got off the bus and was like, “this is nice”, in the middle of all the chaos, that was funny. Like, they had some good lines in the episode, and some good ideas, but it just still ended up being an unrefined mess with a lot of overwhelmingly mediocre dialogue crushing any good shit that was in the episode. Lemme stop typing, im being redundant, and bouncing all over the place. lol
lol great episode, heysbert just has that boss black accent, not like this soft hiphop niggas, I would actually believe he could roll in the 60s south and not receive a scratch. Also damn missed opertunity not having a Clint Eastwood cameo for the guantlet ending haha.
“FUCK…THAT…BULL…SHIT” 
I want John Witherspoon to live forever. His voice acting has been top tier on this show. Can I adopt Granddad?
Felt the episode was good, that damn song was addicting to hear with TRIPLE P (President Palmer) leading the way.
Who cares about the message or what to take, this show is supposed to be funny, otherwise this would be a PBS anime special. Freedom Ride or Die was a Civil Rights version of Catcher Freeman IMO.
What I want to know: I know they do the animation first then the voices, so if McGruder already had the former planned out for Korea, how could the story be altered significantly after he got fired? It’d just be different jokes used.
Beginning to think that Flizzy/Good Times were shown first to get the worst pills to swallow out the way because I have not been terribly disappointed yet.
Ruckus killed me with the BBC question and vague description
EDIT: INB4 @crucades - Saw this on Youtube. Uncensored. 
I was just about to comment about that, I was on floor lmao when Ruckus said that.
Do y’all know what bbc is?
Grandad been whoopin ass since the sixties.
The episode was good. John Witherspoon played boastful, cowardly, and instant hero way too good. Props
Sturdy using that shaolin iron skin style.
Grandad admitting to getting his ass beat while shouting for the bitch to help him was lol
Pacifism does nothing in the face of inmediate danger was what i got out of it
Grandad. Also pointed out how useless woman can be aswell
Uncle Ruckus interview (12:50 in case timestamp didn’t register, on phone)
Damn forgot Boondocks was came on last night. Hittin the net.
Or you could go on youtube isn’t hard
While I agree with some of your points and changes you’d make like the preacher getting lit on fire, but being perfectly ok, the episode wasn’t trash at all like you’re making it sound at the end and your previous post. I do feel that whoever wrote this episode was trying to bring a message, that was very apparent, I’m not just entirely sure what this message all entails because while non-violence was definitely the contributing factor in ending Jim Crow and segregation, in certain circumstances you have to defend yourself. Grandad telling the preacher that it was just about him wanting to become a martyr I felt during this first viewing that it was a jab at MLK.
Oh fuck … bus ticket window guy was Raphael
“Hey how bout I get you a mop and YOU clean it jigaboo?”
I’m picturing him saying this to Shredder. I’ve lost a life
Rob Paulsen saying porch monkey had me dying. The fact that Rob Paulsen said porch monkey makes me sad. MIXED FEELINGS.
Rob Paulsen’s been on this show since the beginning. I’m glad that he’s still around. I would want Keith David to show up.
Dat ass on the next episode doe
I made that rendition my ringtone now lol
http://www.mediafire.com/listen/0wcdiz7d205jn7w/Boondocks_-_Ain’t_Gonna_Let_Nobody…mp3
That non-violent fighting style was too much.
^ You’re like 3 pages too late on that
ROFL Rob Paulsen actually went a bit worse than porch monkey/jigaboo, etc. as a background character shortly after the bus fight was over. Childhood, hilarioualy damaged :lol: