Having garnered more than 16 million weekly viewers, and multiple Television Critics Association, Critics Choice, and Emmy award nominations, nearly everyone is eagerly anticipating the second season of the mega hit TV series, Empire.
But as we clamor to grasp its standing in pop culture, lost in the mist of the growing body of Empire lore has been scant consideration of the significant contributions some of its star performers are making in the lives of many Americans.
For instance, Empire’s Chris Rock departed from an exceptionally rigorous day of production to address youth at Chicago’s Juvenile Temporary Detention Center.
The facility is the largest youth detention facility in the nation, reportedly housing between 250 to 350 youth a day and employing more than 600 employees. Situated under the auspices of the Circuit Court of Cook County, the largest circuit court system in the nation, it is quite arguably the epicenter for juvenile detention in the United States. And Mr. Rock’s visit with the youth was symbolic of a perfect hybrid of pop culture and social justice consciousness.
Mr. Rock spoke candidly about the need for the youth to accept responsibility for their behavior and to resist the temptation to blame others for their current circumstances. In so doing, he specifically warned against a seemingly popular inclination to blame black fathers. Exceptionally genuine and compelling in nature, Mr. Rock lamented that too often black fathers are denounced for the perilous conditions facing many black youth, without being afforded deserving credit for their favorable contributions.