The Johnson family is shocked when Junior gets expelled from his private school. They’re even more shocked when the learn it’s for punching another student in the face and breaking his jaw. We learn through flashbacks the cause for the scuffle. Junior saved up money to buy a gold chain necklace that we was really proud of and it made him feel like a man. Dre was excited about the chain as well and joked that for the first time he felt like Junior was his son. When Junior is asked to take his chain off during P.E., he puts it in his lock and returns from P.E. to find it missing. With the encouragement of Pops and Dre, Junior confronts the boy he thinks took his necklace and apparently knocked him out and broke his jaw.
Bow and Dre struggle to find another school for Junior to attend. They call several private schools but due to Junior getting expelled for violence they won’t accept him, leaving them no choice but to enroll him public school. Dre take the opportunity to explain to the viewers the history of black students and public school in America. This is where Black-ish always shines and it makes it stand out from other sitcoms. Using animation and photos Dre talks us through Brown v. The Board of Education which ended segregation in public schools in 1954 as well as the struggles and inequalities that continue today for black students.
Junior ends up attending the public school Sherman Oaks High and it leaves his family members worried. They are concerned that he has been too sheltered to survive in public school. To everyone’s surprise, Junior actually likes public school. Although Junior is too innocent to understand someone of the nicknames he has been given, he feels like he can actually be himself there. He also likes that he’s not the only black student and there are actually black teachers there.
Jack and Diane are worried that Junior’s enrollment in public school will lead their parents to enroll them as well. We’ll have to wait and see.
