Dave Chappelle's 8:46 succeeds because it's a group therapy session for black America

NBC News

"Chappelle leaves behind his usually cool demeanor and openly embraces grief, despair and rage," says David Manning, a professor who teaches black studies at Texas Christian University. He adds: "In the end, Chappelle recognizes that this isn’t his movement, and that may have been the most successful aspect of the performance. The Black Lives Matter movement is both too nuanced and too broad in its scope for Chappelle to be on its front lines."