Those who tuned in to catch the premiere episode of EPIX docu-series, "America Divided" on Friday night [September 30], got a look at the street violence epidemic, and the strained relationship between poor communities of color and law enforcement, through its profile of Chicago. Viewers followed along as guest correspondent Common provided narration over scenes from the uprising that resulted from the 2015 release of video footage that showed the shooting death of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald, by police. He goes on to get the insight of protesters and gang members, journalists and public officials, as the show explores the dividing forces that have brought the city to a point of crisis.
One voice featured during Friday's episode was that of former Chicago police superintendent, Garry McCarthy, whose firing was the result of the Laquan McDonald scandal. McCarthy meets up with the Chi-town emcee to discuss community-police relations at a local coffee shop and gives a historical take on the roots of tension between Black Americans and law enforcement. "You know, you have to look at this through the prism of history. And, if you go back 300, 400 years, it starts with slavery, which was written into the constitution of the United States. And you move from slavery to black codes, to segregation, and to Jim Crow. Now, who was it who was doing the enforcement of all of those racist policies? It was the white policeman. So there is a narrative that is well deserved," he says. After acknowledging how deep-seeded animosities are, McCarthy pointed out what factors that currently exist, are responsible for such dynamics having carried over to the present, saying, "Poverty, lack of opportunity, lack of education, rampant narcotics, families getting broken up, all contribute to a community that doesn't trust the system, right? And the most visible component of that system is the police."
Friday's episode of "America Divided" also covers the water crisis in Flint [as narrated by Rosario Dawson], and gentrification in New York City [narrated by Norman Lear]. The topics switch back and forth as the focus shifts between cities. Such will be the format of the eight-story, five show series, as it brings viewers the discourse on inequality in the criminal justice system, housing, health care, labor and the political system. Future correspondents include America Ferrera, Zach Galifianakis, Amy Poehler, Peter Sarsgaard, and Jesse Williams.
Source: themarshallproject.org
