7 TV Episodes That Openly Discuss Racial Profiling, Cultural Appropriation And More

With the protests going on right now, one can feel guilty watching television. But most people need a mental break to readjust during these difficult times, so here's some episodes to watch when you want to stay present and informed, while also recharging.

1. Black-ish: Season 2 Episode 16, Hope

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The Johnson Family discusses Racial Profiling and Police Brutality. Although this episode premiered in 2016, the message is still incredibly powerful. Dre spends the episode trying to have an open discussion with his family, but Rainbow tries to keep up the family's spirits with the hope that the judicial system will be effective. Bow also struggles with not wanting to explain brutality to her young kids. Junior wants to go to the protest but the family fears for his safety. In the end, the Johnsons decide to go to the protest, as a family.

2. Brooklyn Nine Nine: Season 4 Episode 16, MooMoo

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Terry experiences racial profiling after being stopped by a cop without his badge on him. When he goes to find his daughter's toy that was left outside, a cop stops him and discriminates against him. Terry goes to Holt, thinking that he will support turning the cop in, but Holt is afraid it will cause more harm to Terry than good. Jake and Amy babysit Terry's daughters and worry about answering their difficult questions. Terry meets with the cop who stopped him, and the cop only apologizes because he did not know Terry was a sergeant. In the end, Terry and Holt agree that the bad cop needs to be reported.

3. Grown-ish: Season 2 Episode 17, Strictly 4 My...

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The Grown-ish gang worries about Vivek staying in Hawkins, as it's causing him to tread on cultural appropriation. They discuss the trickiness of the situation, whether or not Vivek *can* actually appropriate (because he is a minority as well) and mostly just opens up the conversation. In the end they discover that Vivek was just trying to fit into the community that welcomed him, but that he will be more mindful about his behavior in the future.

4. Scandal: Season 4 Episode 14, The Lawn Chair

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A more serious episode than the others, Olivia skips work to go to a police scene where 17 year old Brandon was killed by a white police officer for suspicion of shoplifting and carrying a weapon. Olivia promises the boy's father that she will get to the bottom of things. In the end, Olivia reveals the events that happened at the store, that Brandon was reaching for a receipt- not a weapon, and that he only "matched a description". She brings the boy's father to the White House where he cries on the shoulder of President Fitz.

5. Little Fires Everywhere: Season 1 Episode 4, The Spider Web

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While the topic of racism is prevalent throughout this show, this episode features Elena and Mia's epic fight where Mia calls out Elena for her white savior complex in hiring her to be a maid. During the fight, Mia explains that their relationship has always been about race and that they were never really friends "white women always want to be friends with the maid". Mia quits after this, but it's only the beginning.

6. Black-ish: Season 2 Episode 1, The Word

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After Jack says the N-word during a school talent show and gets suspended, Dre and Bow discuss the history of the word and the qualifications for being allowed to say it. Later, Dre thinks that black people should say it because they took the word back, but Bow thinks that with the history and meaning of the word it shouldn't be said at all. In the end, Jack doesn't get expelled, but Dre teaches him to wait on using the word until he understands the history behind it.

7. Atlanta: Season 1 Episode 19, The Jacket

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(I was going to write about the Juneteenth episode, but this seemed more relevant- also if you don't know what that is, watch this and the black-ish episode about it) Earn goes looking for his jacket after leaving it in an uber after a night of partying. While they're waiting, armed police officers arrive to say they are also looking for the uber driver. The uber driver then arrives and is killed after being fired at by the officers, while wearing Earn's jacket. This episode brilliantly portrays the desensitization towards police brutality.