Cracking The Wire During Black Lives Matter

by Ronda Racha Penrice

Overview

Idris Elba, Michael B. Jordan, Wendell Pierce, Michael K. Williams -- first known as Stringer Bell, Wallace, Bunk, and Omar -- are just a few of the fruits of The Wire we enjoy today. Since its June 2, 2002, premiere, The Wire has been a slow burn, picking up steam each and every year since. As critics continue to grapple with the show and its enduring impact, some voices and perspectives have still yet to be heard. Cracking The Wire During Black Lives Matter remedies this oversight. This provocative exploration of HBO's iconic show touches on issues of not just race, but also class, power, gender dynamics, police brutality, addiction, sexuality, and even representations of Baltimore itself through a Black Lives Matter lens for some, but Black reality for so many others. Regardless of perspective, Cracking The Wire During Black Lives Matter is an engaging and compelling conversation about one of the most important shows in television history. Cracking the Wire features a cover by esteemed artist Art Sims, who designed the posters for numerous Spike Lee films, including Do the Right Thing, Mo' Better Blues, Malcolm X, Clockers, and When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts, as well as The Color Purple, Dreamgirls, and Black Panther.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781949024296
Publisher:	Fayetteville Mafia Press
Publication date:	01/25/2022
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	150
File size:	12 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Ronda Racha Penrice has covered entertainment, with a special emphasis on TV, for over twenty years, highlighting and chronicling Black contributions in front of and behind the scenes. Her work has appeared in various publications, including alternet, Salon, theGrio, Essence, Africana.com, AOL BLackVoices, EBONYJET.com, Upscale, Uptown, and NBC Think. The Chicago native, with deep Mississippi roots, is a board member of both the African American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) and the Black Women Film Network (BWFN), as well as the author of African American History for Dummies. Cracking the Wire features a cover by esteemed artist Art Sims, who designed the posters for numerous Spike Lee films, including Do the Right Thing, Mo' Better Blues, Malcolm X, Clockers, and When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts, as well as The Color Purple, Dreamgirls, and Black Panther.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Cracking The Wire During Black Lives Matters Ronda Racha Penrice 01

Part 1 Pieces of the Familiar

Introductory Overview 14

1 The Wire and the Games We Play Odell Hall 16

2 Walking The Wire Sheree Renee Thomas 22

3 The "Otherlove" of Omar Little Ed Adams 31

Part 2 Baltimore vs. The Wire

Introductory Overview. 40

4 B-More or B-Less: Meditations on The Wire and Baltimore Michael A. Gonzales 42

5 Reflections on The Wire and the Black Baltimore It Misses Julia Chance 52

6 Where da Hood At? The Heartbeat of Baltimore The Wire Didn't Detect Ericka Blount Danois 60

Part 3 All Systems Down

Introductory Overview 70

7 The Wire's Hard Truths About How Our Schools Fail Us All Mekeisha Madden Toby 72

8 We Have to Save Us Danian Darrell Jerry 78

9 Girls in the Hood: Black Women and The Wire Ronda Racha Penrice 84

10 Finding the Greater Truth: The Wire and Journalism Seve Chambers 92

11 Bunk's Lessons About Giving a Fuck in The Wire and Real Life Adorn M. Cooper 100

Part 4 The Incredible Lightness of Being Omar and Michael K. Williams

Introductory Overview 108

12 The Power of Omar and Michael K. Williams Scott Wilson 110

13 Reflections of Him: Conversations with Michael K. Williams Ronda Racha Penrice 116

Conclusion: Why The Wire Still Matters Ronda Racha Penrice 120

About the Editor 130

Acknowledgments 131

Editorial Reviews

"An excellent collection of essays about a groundbreaking television series, the Wire, is on the book reader’s for those looking for a trip down recent memory lane and a chat on several corners in the form of essays." —Ralph E. Moore Jr.

From the Publisher