Angel Of Greenwood

More people near Mrs. Edward’s house keep waking up, amazed that this destruction could happen in their community. Isaiah thinks it’s not surprising at all; it makes sense to him that their community, being one of the most affluent Black communities, would be targeted. Muggy appears and, instead of causing mischief, says he also feels indebted to Mrs. Edward. He breaks her door down with an ax.

Angel finds Mrs. Arnold, Truly’s mom, unconscious and drags her outside. She attempts to perform CPR on her, thinking of what Truly’s life would be like if she lost her whole family at such a young age. She pleads with Mrs. Arnold to come back so she can raise her daughter, and miraculously, she wakes up. Miss Ferris appears with some water for Mrs. Arnold. Someone brings a sheet for Angel, whose nightgown got destroyed. Angel wants to help more people. Miss Ferris says she can get clothes to wear from her house and take the bike to travel faster.

Muggy and Isaiah find Mrs. Edward inside her house, not asleep. She sees the destruction but doesn’t want to try running due to her age and arthritis. She’s been ready for death for a long time, so she encourages the boys to help someone else. Isaiah reveals they were the ones who blew up her mailbox. She already knew this because she saw them do it, but she doesn’t care. She says she’s already forgiven them, and they should leave now to help as many others as possible.

Angel gets dressed at Miss Ferris’s house and then gathers some food and books. Even though the books aren’t necessary like the food, she doesn’t want the rioters to steal the books and what they represent from her. She takes the bike and pedals toward the area where she and Isaiah delivered books. She knocks on doors and alerts people that the community is burning.

Muggy’s dad’s butcher shop has burned down. Muggy went searching for Isaiah at his house and saved his notebook for him, along with his flute. He admits that every time he made fun of Isaiah for something, such as playing the flute or passing out books as a summer job, it was secretly because he didn’t want Isaiah to do anything without him. Even when he made fun of Isaiah for liking Angel, he was just afraid of being left alone. Isaiah says he won’t leave Muggy alone because they’re part of the same community, which is all they have.

At the church, Isaiah’s mom has set up areas for children, injured people, and everyone else. A teacher entertains and distracts the kids while a doctor tends to people’s wounds. Mrs. Turner, who owns the flower shop where Isaiah’s dad used to buy roses for his mom, has a bad burn on her hand, which Dr. Owens tends to. With no sedatives in the church, her screams are loud, and the kids can’t be distracted anymore. Isaiah helps some other people hold her in place while the doctor works. The church mothers and congregation start singing the same way they do on Sundays.

Angel finds the girls she read The Secret Garden to and alerts their families of the situation. She instructs them to pack necessities and tell others to meet at the church as well. Then, Angel sees a plane in the sky, circling the church as if preparing to bomb it. She regrets telling everyone to gather at the church and starts heading back to warn everyone to get out. She cuts through the business district, where white men and women are stealing from all the stores. They point at the sky eagerly, and Angel sees the plane is preparing to drop a bomb. She continues biking faster toward the church.

At the church, Isaiah finds Angel’s mom near Vice Principal Anniston, Mrs. Nichelle, and baby Michael. She’s inconsolable, and Isaiah assumes her husband has died. Still, he approaches her to ask where Angel is, and Vice Principal Anniston tells him she’s most likely out helping people.

Isaiah goes outside to search for Angel but doesn’t know which way to go. Then, she appears on the bike and rushes to him. She has cuts on her that she somehow got during all the commotion and will need stitches. She alerts Isaiah and Muggy that the plane looks as if it’s about to bomb the church. They rush inside to warn everyone to get out.

Muggy worries that even now, people are scrutinizing and judging him. However, then he looks closer and decides maybe they’re just minding their own business. He announces that the church is about to be bombed by a plane and everyone should get out, but everyone ignores him as if they didn’t hear or don’t believe him. Isaiah then repeats what Muggy said, and everyone starts scrambling to exit the church. Muggy reflects that Greenwood has always preferred Isaiah to him. He used to try to mimic Isaiah, but his dad called him a follower and beat him until he stopped. After that, Muggy’s father said he was proud of Muggy for being “strong” and a “leader.” He sees his mom standing alone; his dad left town to see a mistress the previous night and is missing this whole massacre.

Muggy’s mom says she’s proud of him for warning everyone to get out of the church, but he points out that nobody listened to him and only listened to Isaiah. She tells Muggy he can still make up for his past. He helps the church mothers out of the church and feels like he’s more a part of Greenwood now than he has ever been before.

With everyone outside, they try to decide where to go next. They assume the school would be the next target after the church, so they don’t go there. A man tells the kids he’s going to an open field with a group. They decide to go there, but they think they still need to wake more townspeople up first. Muggy looks at the plane circling the church, wondering why it hasn’t dropped its bomb yet. He then gets an idea for how to wake more people up and tells his mom he’s about to do something (but he doesn’t specify what). She asks him not to, but he’s already made his mind up.

Isaiah’s mom announces that everyone should move to the field. Angel tells Isaiah she loves him too, which she didn’t say previously, but is glad to get a chance to do so. Isaiah spots Muggy on top of the church’s bell tower, and starts walking back to try and get Muggy to come down. Various townspeople prevent Isaiah from doing this, including Deacon Yancey, Vice Principal Anniston, Mr. Morris, and Muggy’s mom. Muggy rings the church bell and wakes up many townspeople while the church mothers sing about what a great act of love it is to sacrifice oneself to save others. Everyone keeps walking toward the field, and the plane drops the bomb on the church, presumably killing Muggy.

Friday, July 1, 1921; 1 Month Later

A month later, Angel sits in a circle with some girls, reading The Secret Garden (which she salvaged from Miss Ferris’s house before it burned) aloud. The girls ask questions about the book and Isaiah. Angel is impressed the children can still be giddy despite the tragedy that has occurred. Isaiah is standing nearby with a group of men, passionately talking about something that Angel and the girls can’t hear.

Isaiah addresses the group of men, stating that they’ve seen what a thriving community looks like, and they will achieve this again. The white mob burned their buildings, stole their possessions, and killed some of them, but they weren’t able to steal their knowledge, hope, resilience, love, or sense of community. Therefore, they can build another place like Greenwood again. He points to members of the community who are around. Some are handing out food from a makeshift kitchen, while others care for a group of toddlers in an outdoor playpen. Angel reads aloud to the group of girls. Isaiah says Angel’s spirit will never be broken despite the hardships she endures. Mr. Morris tells Isaiah to go to Angel, so he does. Truly, the girl whose mother Angel saved, tries to prevent Isaiah from approaching, but Angel tells her it’s okay, and he does.