For many of us, stories that portray the experiences of impoverished black communities are absolutely vital for the culture. When it comes to these films, some of us watch for entertainment, while others watch for representation. Films like ‘Menace To Society’ can almost seem like fantasy to the average viewer, but these are real stories. The psychological affect that these experiences have on people are often over looked in real life, but I believe the films that we find most influential to us take a deep dive into the process of developing PTSD-like symptoms while growing up in a community filled with crime, desperation and heartache.

Bishop from 1992 film ‘Juice’ is one of my favorite characters. As a community, we have brushed off his character as simply crazy and not loyal. Bishop’s character has even been labeled as a villain, but what happens between time that can cause a young black boy to feel so much hatred for himself and close friends? The setting is Harlem, four friends and how they navigate through police brutality, gangs, abuse, and problems at home. These four young men do not care much for the school system that has failed them tremendously, yet they all have their own unique style, very well spoken and have thought provoking conversations. We will begin to see how their upbringing affects them differently very early into the film. Bishop immediately establishes himself as fearless and angry. The last bit of happiness he had in him decays after he caught his first body. What is the difference between a seventeen year old white boy shooting a school, and a seventeen year old Black boy shooting his closest friend? The ability or inability to identify mental illness. Are black kids not deserving of investment when it comes to therapy and rehab? Billy got bullied but Bishop’s just a super predator.

The question that remains is, what is to be held responsible for a funny, outgoing kid from around the way to succumb to a life of murder and distress? Do we choose these paths, or do these paths work as an intentional way orf criminalizing black girls and boys with more complex, yet unattended issues. Below you will see the infamous clip of Bishop’s last break to his childhood friend Q.