Entertainment

An Episode Of 'The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air' Is Eerily Similar To The Events In Ferguson

by Adam Pliskin

The shooting of Michael Brown and the situation in Ferguson, Missouri have opened this country's eyes to the sad truth that racism is still alive and well in America.

Many may have felt we've been living in a "post-racial" America after the election of Barack Obama. Clearly, that couldn't be further from the truth.

This type of racism perpetrated by law enforcement officials is nothing new. In fact, "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" dealt with such systemic racism in an episode called "Cased Up" that aired in 1991.

Coincidentally (or maybe not), 1991 was the same year of the Rodney King beating by members of the LAPD, not far from where the sitcom is set.

In this particular episode, Jazz (DJ Jazzy Jeff) has a court date after getting into a car accident. In the court, Jazz refuses to lower his arms as he fears that the bailiff may empty his clip into Jazz's back.

It's a chilling coincidence that Michael Brown was shot exactly six times by police officer Darren Wilson.

Basically, the whole point of highlighting this clip from 1991 is to prove that not much has changed in the intervening years.

Racism still runs rampant in the US, and hopefully, by highlighting examples such as this one, people will start to get the message.

H/T: Facebook