Omari Hardwick on Black Men Killed by Police: 'We Are Being Hunted'
Power returns for season two this Saturday, June 6, and the show — about the way danger and aspiration play out on New York City streets — is more relevant than ever.
We sat down with the show's leads, Omari Hardwick, Naturi Naughton and Angela Valdes, to talk about the power struggle between law enforcement and the Black community that has been dominating headlines in recent months.
"The system is not necessarily about rehabilitation anymore, it's about trapping," says Hardwick about the way Black people are treated by police and the prison system. "We are being hunted." He adds, "We have an opportunity to speak out about what's happening...to young Black boys."
But Hardwick doesn't mean to condone an "us against them" mentality when it comes to law enforcement. "Some of the most amazing people I've met in life are cops," he clarifies. "I'm going to play a cop...my next gig is playing a cop. Can't play 'em if you don't respect 'em."
His co-star Naturi Naughton adds, "I want all the young men out there to know that they matter, and we gotta do something about the violence."
Watch the full interview below:
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(Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
