( ENSPIRE Entertainment ) TV One’s New Docuseries ‘Two Sides’ Addresses Police Brutality
ENSPIRE Contributor: Tylah Willis
TV One will be debuting a four-part docu-series called “Two Sides,” which captures watershed moments for the black community and law enforcement. The show is executive produced by Academy Award-winning actress Viola Davis, Julius Tennon, and Lemuel Plummer. The four-part docu-series will give an inside look into four families affected by police brutality between 2014-2015. It will serve multiple points of view from highly publicized cases involving Eric Garner (New York), Ezell Ford (California), John Crawford (Ohio), and Sandra Bland (Texas). Their deaths sparked nationwide outrage, which then turned into a movement called Black Lives Matter, putting the presence of law enforcement on the hot seat. ‘Two Sides’ continues TV One’s mission to represent the issues and concerns are of importance to the Black community,” says D’Angela Proctor, TV One Head of Original Programming and Production. “Inspired by courageous acts such as NBA Champions LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers who donned ‘I Can’t Breathe’ shirts in honor of Garner during pregame warm-ups, and the NFL’s Colin Kaepernick who kneeled during the anthem prior to games for an entire season to raise awareness of police brutality, we wanted to utilize our platform to shine a light on this pressing issue.
We’re honored to work with Viola and Julius who have been active voices in the fight for equality to explore both sides of this dynamic equation, which continues to dominate social and political discourse in America.”
JuVee executive producers Davis and Tennon both hope the show can help expand the dialogue around these incidents and provide an opportunity for real change to occur.
“With ‘Two Sides’ you’ll hear how the incident transpired and how it affected change, or did not affect change. And, how the families are still being affected,” said Davis and Tennon in a joint statement. “This is a way for us to humanize these victims and not make them just a statistic. We also have to look at the other side of the story – our law enforcement’s point of view. Let’s come together and have a conversation about these issues so that we can come up with real solutions that will lead to positive change.”
In addition to discussing the circumstances leading to the victims’ fateful encounter with police, in each episode of ‘Two Sides’ family and friends share their heart-breaking accounts of where they were when their loved ones died, along with fond memories and recollections of their young lives. Law enforcement experts and independent commentators offer expertise and opinions on each incident with explanations of police regulations and procedures, as well as an analysis of the many factors involved in each of these four unique events.
The series also features commentary from high profile contributors such as activist Rev. Al Sharpton, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, and attorney Christopher Darden, as well as representatives from various law enforcement agencies and other notable pundits.
“There are two sides to every story,” says Rev. Al Sharpton in the premiere episode. “I believe the policeman has a side; I believe the victim has a side; But there is only one truth.”
“These cases sparked a controversy that ignited a necessary movement throughout our country,” says TV One General Manager Michelle Rice. “The relationship between law enforcement and the African American community has been a precarious one for far too long and the conversation around reform must continue. There is a historical and deep divide that needs to be mended. We are privileged to present this unique series which offers an in-depth look into each story from two different perspectives, and hopefully influences an honest dialogue on the fractured state of police-community relations.”
