CROWN HEIGHTS

August 1991. Crown Heights, Brooklyn is divided by culture, race, and a tenuous sense of community. When an African American boy is killed and another injured by a car driven by a Hasidic Jewish man, racial tensions erupt in three horrific days of riots that claim even more victims and leave a neighbourhood in ruins. Then two men of opposing races decide to bring humanity back into their world…

In the wake of the riots, Dr. David L. “Laz” (Howie Mandel, St. Elsewhere) is persuaded by his Hasidic peers to use his influence on the youth in the neighbourhood of Crown Heights. He teams up with Paul Richards (Mario Van Peebles, Ali), a calm, centred black man and a driving force at the Youth Collective Centre. The men discover that although they may not have colour or spiritual beliefs in common, they share a meaningful bond: a wish to spread hope to disillusioned youth. Two boys, Yudi Simon (Jeremy Blackman, Magnolia) and T.J. Moses (DeQuan Henderson, Disappearing Acts), each suffering their own effects from racial bias, prove to be a challenge—but one worth fighting for.

Reluctantly, the boys join Laz and Paul’s youth group with mixed emotions only to discover their mutual interest in music. Encouraged to find a positive outlet for their frustrations, Yudi and T.J. form the rap group, Project Cure, delivering a message few can ignore. But once Project Cure becomes the focus of an enterprising media and criticism from opposing groups, pressure and tension build once again between the boys—and so does the racial wall they tried so hard to knock down. Now they have to fight even harder to save their bond and their community’s sense of pride by “keeping the peace.”

Based on a true story, Crown Heights serves well as a cautionary yet inspirational story ideal for the entire family. With its honest recreation of events and the emotional effects on the people of a racially torn community, it reveals an important and illuminating message about human relations.