Wyatt Cenac's Problem Areas wonders what an apology for police brutality would look like or accomplish
A few things were made clear in the debut of Wyatt Cenac’s Problem Areas last week. First, the dryly funny Cenac, a former Daily Show correspondent, is well-suited to host his own topical series. Second, despite the fact that Trump is a walking, talking disaster, his administration isn’t one of the problem areas that will be addressed (not directly, anyway). And finally, just as police brutality continues to occur all over the country, the show’s exploration of that fraught subject will be ongoing.
It’s heavy stuff, we know, but Cenac approaches the complex issue with a genial mix of curiosity and concern, traveling to St. Paul, Minnesota and Birmingham, Alabama to speak with activists, law enforcement officials, and even guys who are unclear on the concept of living statues. In this clip from tonight’s episode that the A.V. Club is premiering, civil rights activist Johnetta Elzie wonders what an apology for police violence would look like, let alone accomplish, as Cenac heads to Alabama, home of the “police commissioner sics dogs on civil rights activists” statue.
A new episode of Wyatt Cenac’s Problem Areas airs tonight at 11:30 p.m. ET on HBO.