The new black-ish tackles the controversial topic of police brutality in its signature, comedic way. Get a sneak peek of tonight’s show, airing at 9:30pm ET|PT.
The creators and cast of black-ish aren’t afraid to go there when it comes to controversial issues within the African-American community and in the U.S., at large. Already, this season we’ve talked about usage of the n-word, apprehension about medical professionals among older generations in the Black community, and fear/confusion around family financial planning.
Well tonight, black-ish is tackling another timely issue that’s sparked a lot of debate and public discourse in the last five years: police brutality and relationships between criminal justice institutions and communities of color. As usual, the show will approach this with the honesty and humor we’ve come to expect. Check out the synopsis of “Hope” (written by show creator Kenya Barris, directed by Beth McCarthy-Miller):
DRE AND BOW NAVIGATE TALKING TO THEIR KIDS ABOUT A CONTROVERSIAL COURT CASE VERDICT—When the kids ask some tough questions in the midst of a highly publicized court case involving alleged police brutality and an African-American teenager, Dre and Bow are conflicted on how best to field them. Dre, along with Pops and Ruby, feel the kids need to know what kind of world they’re living in, while Bow would like to give them a more hopeful view about life. When the verdict is announced, the family handles the news in different ways while watching the community react. (via ABC)
In an interview with the LA Times, Barris expresses being nervous about the upcoming show:
“I’m very nervous about this episode — the most nervous I’ve ever been. I worry about the comedy. I had to do a balancing act to show that we are not trivializing the issue, but we also didn’t want to politicize the show.”
He said the different characters in the episode will express different points of view, but the main message will be clear:
“It’s hard not to say there is a problem. Something does need to be changed.”
The LA Times article also has an exclusive sneak peek that shows some of the family debate. While Bow is optimistic about the justice system, Dre is more skeptical about the potential for fairness, given racial bias. And the clip actually ends on a funny note with Jack’s cheeky misunderstanding of what it means to be “unarmed”. Check it our below:
Tonight’s episode is a can’t miss! #blackishhttps://t.co/9Oet1tj1mY
— black-ish (@black_ishABC) February 25, 2016
Thanks to ABC we also have 12 images from “Hope” to share. Check them out below and make sure to tune in at 9:30pm ET|PT to watch the new black-ish. I’ll be live tweeting (@WeSoNerdy), so join me while we watch!
Only #blackish could do justice to an episode about injustice.https://t.co/tv0yF1Dqjo
— black-ish (@black_ishABC) February 23, 2016