John Singleton’s films generally aren’t something I gravitate towards. The movie was released in 1991, but didn't really become visible where I lived until it appeared on HBO. "Poetic Justice," though, did get around, and when I eventually watched “Boyz n the Hood,” my expectations were pretty low. I truly believed it would be as completely empty as "Poetic Justice" turned out to be. I did enjoy "Higher Learnin…

It’s the Nineties, and we can’t be scared of our own community anymore. In 1991, a startling statistic emerged: “One out of every twenty-one Black American males will be murdered in their lifetime,” with “most [of those deaths] at the hands of another Black male.” "Increase The Peace" serves as John Singleton's moving and thoughtful plea for tranquility amidst turmoil in South Central Los Angeles. Many who have…