Freeform is no stranger when it comes to big, brash, taboo topics. Previously known as ABC Family, the TV broadcast network has covered nearly every social and political issue to date. Just last week, The Fosters covered the issue of an LGBT+ inclusive sex-ed curriculum, and how the lack of such could lead to kids experimenting in an incredibly unsafe way. The Fosters is also known for it’s realistic portrayal of the broken foster care system, homophobic parents, and more. One of the more underrated Freeform shows, however, is Switched At Birth. Over the past few weeks, the show has been airing it’s fifth and final season, covering from the very first episode a topic most TV shows haven’t dared touched: The Black Lives Matter movement.
Inspired by real events, the five episode arc follows the aftermath of a racist move made by main character Daphne Vasquez. In the first episode, Daphne and her boyfriend attend a celebrity costume party on campus. Daphne chooses to dress as Katy Perry, while her ex boyfriend, Mingo, an extremely white male, decides to dress as black rapper Lil’ Wayne. His costume consists of fake dreads, a gold necklace, and a grill. Upon seeing the incredibly racist getup, Daphne’s best friend, Iris,- who happens to be black- calls out Mingo about how he is essentially remaking Jim Crow in the 21st Century. Mingo doesn’t understand how his costume can be offensive towards black people, and Daphne agrees, defending her ex. Iris is disgusted by the move, and stops talking to Daphne until confronted a few days later.
Over the next few episodes, Daphne grapples with accusations of being racist for defending her ex’s right to free speech. Even Daphne’s mom, a proud Latina, agrees that Mingo’s costume was racist and that while he is entitled to free speech, that doesn’t justify his ignorance and terribly racist statement. The Black Student Union of the fictional college which Daphne, Mingo and Iris all attend, UMKC, creates a petition attempting to get Mingo removed as the resident advisor due to his bigotry. In response, Daphne furthers her racist actions by writing an op-ed defending Mingo’s right to free speech and the over-exaggeration regarding his costume. She then attends a philosophy class where she argues with other students that free speech trumps unintentional racism. The leader of the BSU tells Daphne that such a thing is easy for her to say, that she will never know the discrimination black people feel because she isn’t black. After the petition fails, Iris decides to move out of campus. Eventually, Daphne tracks down Iris to confront her and hopefully repair their friendship and convince her to stay. Instead, Iris voices a powerful statement:
“For you this is all just some fun academic debate, but I’m talking about my emotional safety. Everywhere I go on campus I have to be on guard; I have to put on this armor to protect me from stuff you don’t see…like when I woke up to find a little tiny drawing of the confederate flag on my door; like when a frat guy told us their party was for hot girls only but they really meant white girls; like when my geology professor made a joke about savages and looked right at me; like the other night, when I got home and my RA was making fun of black people! The dorm is my home. It’s where I sleep, it’s the place I’m supposed to be able to take off that armor.”- Iris, Switched At Birth
After the powerful statement, Daphne realizes how ignorant she had been and decides to support Iris and the BSU. In the next episode, however, the race issue on campus heats up after a group of white students loiter the grounds of the BSU building with cotton balls. The students are caught a day or two later, but instead of being expelled or criminally persecuted, they’re suspended for three days. Suspended for three days. A blatant hate crime, and the students are only suspended. Rightfully upset, the BSU host a protest on campus, and Iris even vows to go on a hunger strike until the college’s dean expels the students. Daphne, in all her privilege, doesn’t understand why the BSU can’t simply organize a discussion with the Dean before jumping to such “drastic” measures. Again upset by Daphne’s overwhelming ignorance, Iris says that for one thing, there shouldn’t have to be a discussion for the students to get expelled; the students should have been expelled right off the bat. Secondly, Iris says that discussion with the Dean won’t change anything, that the BSU has attempted numerous times to talk to the Dean about race issues to no avail. Daphne doesn’t believe her ears, and sets up her own personal meeting with the Dean. The Dean, a middle-aged white woman, tells Daphne that the students claimed loitering the BSU campus with cotton balls was an art experiment, not a hate crime; that the students had no vicious intent, and therefore deserved a mere slap on the wrist rather than any real punishment. The white students got away with their hate crime as a result of their privilege and clever words, and for Switched At Birth to present that is extraordinary. After the meeting, Daphne joins the BSU and Iris in their protests against the college until the white students are expelled.
Several more events occur, all leading up to the fifth and final episode of the arc where the protest has a major impact. UMKC’s baseball star, Chris Walker, is physically assaulted and profiled by a police officer on campus. His key breaks as he’s trying to start his motorcycle, but the officer merely sees the color of Chris’s skin and decides the boy is stealing the bike. If not for white students Bay Vasquez and Travis Barnes running to Chris’s help and vouching for him, the officer would have arrested Chris on mere assumption. Again, with this scene Switched at Birth demonstrates the reality of police brutality. After the incident, Chris Walker makes a big decision after he is approached by a BSU member to make a statement and help their protest. At the biggest game of UMKC’s baseball season, Chris Walker announces he will be sitting out the game until UMKC expels the white students who committed a hate crime on campus and addresses the racial issues the BSU has been working so hard to bring to light. His other teammates decide to sit out with him, and as a result UMKC forfeits the game. After the act, the Dean realizes how wrong she had been to not stand up and listen to the BSU’s concerns. She tells her boss to work with her on not only expelling the students, but meeting the BSU’s desires in order to ensure racial equality and protection for black students on campus.
Before each episode and in-between commercial breaks, Switched at Birth emphasizes that the events demonstrated in the show were inspired by real life events, most likely the Bethel Lives Matter movement in Kansas. Switched at Birth truly covered racism and ignorance of white people, as well as how to combat such things on a mere college campus. The last episode especially, Occupy Truth, showcased the impact of protesting against a negative social institution. Truly inspiring, the episode tells us that if we truly believe in a movement- that if we truly fight for what we deserve full-heartedly, change will come, one step at a time.
Freeform’s Switched at Birth is currently airing it’s final season on Tuesdays, 9PM eastern time.
