Plot Summary

BRIDGING THE DIVIDE tells the little known story of Tom Bradley, the first African American mayor elected in a major U.S. city with an overwhelmingly white majority. In 1973, his extraordinary multi-racial coalition redefined Los Angeles, transformed the national dialogue on race, and set the foundation for sustainable interracial coalitions that encouraged elections of minority candidates nationwide, most notably President Barack Obama. The film brings into sharp focus issues of police brutality in minority communities and the challenges of police reform. BRIDGING THE DIVIDE is the story of the pressures which face our cities, the politics of race and the complexities of coalitions in a changing America.