Politics of the Past Reflect Politics of Today in ‘When We Rise’

In the premiere of ABC’s When We Rise, writer Dustin Lance Black takes us to the same tumultuous San Francisco he took us to in Milk, but expands on the life of activist Cleve Jones, in addition to Roma Guy and Ken Jones. The series launches with these gay activists being drawn to San Francisco by different circumstances and converging in the shared experience of police brutality post-Summer of Love.

Because San Francisco was once a mecca of social liberalism, this backlash against the old order of things is easy to compare to today’s political climate across the U.S. During that period in San Francisco, 2,800 gay men were arrested, and many were savagely beaten or mistreated.

Though the series can be a bit didactic at times, the historical and emotional lessons When We Rise begs us to consider feel timely and urgent — and certainly worth a listen.

‘When We Rise’ airs this week at 9 p.m. on ABC.

Watch: Celebs in the LGBT Community Thank President Obama on ‘Ellen’:

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