The police brutality episode ‘Hope’ from the ABC television show black-ish gained a lot of attention. Recently both Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ellis Ross, lead actors spoke at #PaleyFest on their roles in a recent episode and the effects it hopes to have on society
The episode is centered around the family’s reaction to the murder of a Black teenager by a police officer and how everyone in the family deals with the verdict.
While watching the news on TV, their kids ask some tough questions and Dre (dad) and Bow (mom) have to find ways to teach their children about what is happening in the world.Dre, Pops and Ruby (grandma and grandpa) think the kids should be aware of their surroundings, while Bow wants to give them, “a hopeful view about life.”. Each family member shares their opinion of the verdict as they try to comprehend why justice was not served.
The controversial episode has gotten big reviews from critics, as Anthony Anderson answered questions at the #PaleyFest.
Anthony Anderson said that this episode really hit close to home, as he was personally affected as to being a victim of police brutality in his younger years while living in Compton, CA and as a student at Howard University.
“We pride ourselves on being topical and timely,” Anthony Anderson told the AP press. “In the light of whats going on with young Black men across this country, me in particular being a victim of police brutality. Growing up in Compton and while I was a student at Howard University protesting at a Ku Klux Klan rally, I speak to that and I know it first hand. What we deal with on our show really comes from our lives and the experiences we’ve had.”
“As a mom, or as a parent, how do you address these issues with a generation that didn’t experience a lot of these things and that are happening in our country, and then how do you have those conversations?” a concerned Tracee Ellis Ross explained.
