The riot isn't seen in the movie, but it is alluded to. He has this one speech that gives a great sense of texture and paints a picture of what was happening in Harlem then.
“After I left LA... it was like waking up. And so I moved back east and stopped auditioning.”
“With President Obama, there's a feeling that he gets it. He has women in his life. He knows that our health care is important, that it's important able to get access to the care that we need when we need it. That's what translates. Women hear that when they hear him speak about these issues. He will”