MSNBC Films Announces ‘Model America’ Documentary Series

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September 6, 2022

By BreAnna Bell, Variety

A still from the upcoming documentary series.

MSNBC Films unveiled its upcoming series “Model America” on Tuesday.

According to the program’s log-line, the four-part documentary “dissects America’s complicated relationship with race through the lens of the people of Teaneck, New Jersey, a ‘racial utopia’ turned unlikely ground zero for the modern Black Lives Matter Movement.”

“Model America” details the fallout events that took place after 16-year-old Phillip Pannell was fatally shot by Gary Spath, a White police officer, on April 10, 1990. As the tragic death shakes up the city, rumors and misinformation begins to spread begging those in Teaneck to question if the city is really a home without racial tensions.

[…]

Coming from NBC News Studios, the documentary features interviews with Phillip Pannell’s family, Civil Rights Activist Al Sharpton, Senator Loretta Weinberg (Former New Jersey State Senator), Mike Kelly (author, of Color Lines and an award-winning columnist for The (Bergen) Record of New Jersey), and members of the Teaneck, NJ community including former police officers and the former Mayor of Teaneck, NJ.

“We were immediately drawn to this powerful story and felt it was important to bring to a wide audience. Working with our partners to delve into the case has been fascinating as we’ve reflected on the ways in which our country is still grappling with so many of the same complex issues today,” said Elizabeth Fischer, NBC News Studios executive producer, in a statement.

Check out the official trailer for Model America.

If you like documentaries, check out Waking Up to Racism.

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