Brick City

As an unfiltered, behind-the-scenes examination inside the heart of Newark, New Jersey, Brick City artfully illustrates the struggles of those seeking to make their city a better place. We follow a charismatic young mayor and a veteran police chief who fight to maintain hope in the face of violent crime, dwindling budgets, and a citizenry who have for decades heard their share of empty rhetoric and false promises. We are introduced to a young couple who, despite memberships in opposing gangs, wrestle to provide something better for their children and their community. Far from offering untarnished, heroic portrayals of these individuals, Brick City reveals the contradictions and the sometimes ugly side of mustering hope within the remnants of a troubled past. “Change Comes Hard,” says the series tagline, but it is within these hardships that we catch a glimpse into what a city like Newark is made of. For its honest and passionate exposition of the lives and institutions that make up a community, and for its inspiring yet sometimes skeptical look at the trials embedded within the struggle for a better future, Brick City receives a Peabody Award.