*The new app Quibi has launched a new drama series starring Laurence Fishburne, Stephan James, and Jasmine Cephas Jones.
#FreeRayshawn tells the relatable story of a man trying to prove his innocence and avoid going to jail or possibly killed for a crime he didn’t commit. Rayshawn, played by Stephan James, finds himself in a standoff with the police but not before he encounters Laurence Fishburne’s character Steven Poincy.
Poincy is a veteran police officer who comes in to assist the detectives with apprehending Rayshawn, but when they come in contact Poincy is hesitant to arrest him.
Throughout the series, you see the conflict Poincy is dealing with. He’s trying to do his job as an officer but he’s also trying to help Rayshawn tell his side of the story, he believes Rayshawn’s version of events over his fellow officers. Too many times black men in these situations are guilty before proven innocent and it comes across that Poincy was being empathetic to Rayshawn for that reason.
In today’s climate, there are probably plenty of black police officers who face this conflict often. Between doing their job and protecting a black man when necessary. We asked Laurence Fishburne how he felt while portraying a character dealing with this dilemma.
“What I was attempting to do was portray a whole person who is not one thing or another thing. But is an African American police officer and as a person of color has to deal with the realities of what that means in this country,” says Fishburne. He also goes on to say “ That was one of the reasons I wanted to do it because it’s a perspective that we don’t often get to hear.”
This series actually focuses on two perspectives we don’t see much in entertainment or reality. Seeing Rayshwan’s point of view and him trying to show the world who he really is before the media can make their assumptions about him.
#FreeRayshawn is emotionally suspenseful, but well worth the watch. Make sure to download the Quibi app and start watching, today.
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