Yusuf Hawkins: Storm Over Brooklyn

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Yusuf Hawkins: Storm Over Brooklyn

2020

1h 40m

Documentary

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

86%

Tomatometer

14 Reviews

71%

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Racial tensions come to a boil when an angry mob murders Black teenager Yusuf Hawkins in Brooklyn, N.Y., on Aug. 23, 1989. The aftermath of Hawkins' death leads to a social movement as his family and community protesters demand justice.

Critics Consensus

Storm Over Brooklyn's limited scope may disappoint viewers seeking a comprehensive examination of racial inequity in New York City circa 1989, but this poignant documentary does justice to the memory of Yusuf Hawkins the person.

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Ty Burr

Boston Globe

08/17/2020

3.5/4

It's the gulf between what people said then and now that resonates throughout this documentary, and the blind spots that continue today.

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Tambay Obenson

IndieWire

08/14/2020

B

[It] likely won't teach much new to those already familiar with his story... But even for the initiated, it could contribute to ongoing discussions on how to dismantle the American racial divide that is deeply entrenched in our national psyche.

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Melanie McFarland

Salon.com

08/13/2020

Voices past and present give Storm Over Brooklyn a piercing relevance in the here and now, whether by what they're saying or what they represent.

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Carla Hay

Culture Mix

08/23/2020

Yusuf Hawkins: Storm Over Brooklyn could have been a very one-sided documentary, but it took the responsible approach of including diverse viewpoints.

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Jordan Calhoun

Black Nerd Problems

08/21/2020

These different perspectives paint a vivid picture of the Brooklyn of 30 years ago, not very different from the Brooklyn of today.

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Rosalynn Try-Hane

Liquid Marmalade

08/20/2020

Yusuf Hawkins - Storm Over Brooklyn is an emotional and sensitive examination of racial tensions, grief and political point scoring that is ever present today.

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Muta'Ali Muhammad

Director

Al Sharpton

Self

David Dinkins

Self

Reverend Conrad Tillard

Self

Jonathan Chinn

Executive Producer

Simon Chinn

Executive Producer

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Synopsis

Racial tensions come to a boil when an angry mob murders Black teenager Yusuf Hawkins in Brooklyn, N.Y., on Aug. 23, 1989. The aftermath of Hawkins' death leads to a social movement as his family and community protesters demand justice.

Director: Muta'Ali Muhammad
Producer: Victorious DeCosta, Jevon Frank, Alexandra Moss
Production Co: HBO Documentary Films, Lightbox
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 13, 2020
Runtime: 1h 40m