<P> The film focuses on three African - American youths living in an urban neighborhood . Nathaniel Hamilton ( Jamaal Wilkes , credited as Keith Wilkes ) is a star basketball player from the neighborhood , who also goes by the nickname of `` Cornbread . '' In the movie , he epitomizes the dream of the neighborhood to be successful , as he is about to become the first from his district to enter college on an athletic scholarship . He is also a local hero to the much younger friends Earl Carter ( Tierre Turner ) and Wilford Robinson ( Laurence Fishburne ) . The plot thickens after a pick - up basketball game ends because of a heavy rain , and all the kids run to the local store and hang out , waiting for the rain to end . All the kids leave , except for Cornbread , Earl and Wilford . Earl and Wilford get into a playful argument about how fast Cornbread can run home . It is decided that Cornbread should make it home in 25 seconds , so he runs off , after buying another soda for himself . Unknown to all of them , an assault suspect is in the neighborhood , and is dressed like Cornbread . The two police officers are hot on the suspect 's trail , but lose him in the rain . As the police officers are coming out of an alleyway , they see Cornbread running by and mistake him for the suspect they 're looking for . Subsequently , Cornbread is shot in the back , and dies in the middle of the street . Wilford screams hysterically , and a riot ensues . The coroner 's inquest is hampered by severe police intimidation , and no one knows anything about the shooting , except for Wilford , who becomes a man on the witness stand by telling exactly what he saw , in graphic detail . </P>
<P> The film focuses on three African - American youths living in an urban neighborhood . Nathaniel Hamilton ( Jamaal Wilkes , credited as Keith Wilkes ) is a star basketball player from the neighborhood , who also goes by the nickname of `` Cornbread . '' In the movie , he epitomizes the dream of the neighborhood to be successful , as he is about to become the first from his district to enter college on an athletic scholarship . He is also a local hero to the much younger friends Earl Carter ( Tierre Turner ) and Wilford Robinson ( Laurence Fishburne ) . The plot thickens after a pick - up basketball game ends because of a heavy rain , and all the kids run to the local store and hang out , waiting for the rain to end . All the kids leave , except for Cornbread , Earl and Wilford . Earl and Wilford get into a playful argument about how fast Cornbread can run home . It is decided that Cornbread should make it home in 25 seconds , so he runs off , after buying another soda for himself . Unknown to all of them , an assault suspect is in the neighborhood , and is dressed like Cornbread . The two police officers are hot on the suspect 's trail , but lose him in the rain . As the police officers are coming out of an alleyway , they see Cornbread running by and mistake him for the suspect they 're looking for . Subsequently , Cornbread is shot in the back , and dies in the middle of the street . Wilford screams hysterically , and a riot ensues . The coroner 's inquest is hampered by severe police intimidation , and no one knows anything about the shooting , except for Wilford , who becomes a man on the witness stand by telling exactly what he saw , in graphic detail . </P>
who played earl in cornbread earl and me
who played earl in cornbread earl and me
Tierre Turner
Tierre Turner