Black Public Media’s Peabody series “AfroPoP:The Ultimate Cultural Exchange” is marking its 100th film presentation with a piece on policing in Minneapolis.
Directed by Emmy award winner Daniel Pierce Bergin and produced by Minnesota PBS, “Paradox:Echoes of Reform & the Minneapolis Police” traces years of power, politics and policing in Minneapolis.
Just six years ago, the death of George Floyd, a Black man who was murdered by a white police officer in Minneapolis, sparked protests across a city which has become a hotbed of police misconduct.
In the documentary, historian Dr. Yohuru Williams examines how mayoral politics, police unions and community activists — particularly those from Black,Latinx and Indigenous communities — have clashed over policing in Minnesota’s largest city.
Featuring rare footage and candid interviews with civic leaders, activists, police officers and historians, it includes commentary from Dr. Michael Lansing, professor of history at Augsburg University and author of the companion book “A Police State.”
“Paradox:Echoes of Reform & the Minneapolis Police” rounds out a season of documentaries that include “Listen to Me,” about the nation’s Black maternal health crisis.
“George Floyd’s murder did not happen in a historical vacuum. To understand what happened on that Minneapolis street in 2020, we have to examine the decisions, policies and struggles over policing that shaped the city for generations,” said Bergin, who also serves as executive producer and WEM endowed director of history at Minnesota PBS. “We hope Paradox will deepen the national conversation about policing, accountability and the possibility of meaningful reform.”
“Paradox” premieres Monday,November 9, on the PBS App and PBS.org
