The Black Family

Dr. Thomas Carroll and his wife Rocky are on the brink of divorce when her cancer returns. Before dying, Rocky makes a series of videos to help her family move on in her absence, but they are of little help to her grieving husband and her two children a son TJ and a daughter Jamia. TJ, already had a strained relationship with his father that only gets worse after his mother’s death. He has dreams of being a rapper but Thomas wants his suburban, prep school educated son to spend more time focusing on school and his piano lessons. At his wit's end, Thomas finds an unexpected savior in his estranged brother Timothy. After the two get into a fistfight at Rocky’s funeral, it is Timothy who is finally able to get through to TJ and Jamia. TJ and Timothy bond over their love of rap music. TJ also finds an outlet as a member of a spoken word group. The members of the group, inner city kids with criminal records, and TJ get off to a rough start as they appear to have very little in common. But TJ’s strained relationship with his father and the painful loss of his mother is a familiar tune to the group members, who have similar relationships with their parents. TJ and Timothy did not tell Thomas about the spoken word group, allowing him to think that TJ had been attending piano lessons. When an impromptu poetry slam keeps TJ out too late one evening, Timothy is forced to tell Thomas the truth. Even though TJ emerges unharmed, and a poetry slam champion a few hours later, Thomas is livid and kicks Timothy out. TJ runs away from home in search of his uncle. The family eventually reunites at Manhattan hospital after TJ has a run in with some of Timothy’s associates. This leads to Timothy’s arrest for violating the conditions of his parole leaving Thomas, TJ and Jamia frantic as they are again faced with losing someone they love. But the parole board is ultimately moved by the love in this family and allows for Timothy’s release. And TJ finds a way to live out his rap dreams in a way that his father approves - winning the school talent show in the process.