In the 1980s, a federal judge ordered Yonkers, N.Y., to build a small number of low-income housing units in its largely white neighborhoods. The move rips apart the city and destroys its young mayor.

Show Me a Hero, a six-part HBO mini-series from creator and writer David Simon (The Wire) and director Paul Haggis (Crash), examines this turbulent time. The first two parts premiere Sunday, Aug. 16.

Featuring Simon’s trademark grittiness, the mini-series raises tough questions about race and housing, issues that remain just as relevant today.

“Here’s my housing plan: No low-income housing. If they can afford a house, great,” says a councilman in the movie as Yonkers must build 200 units of low-income housing followed by another 800 units of affordable housing.  

It seems like a modest number of units, but the mandate rocks residents and the city's elected officials.

The mini-series is based on a book by reporter Lisa Belkin and stars Oscar Isaac as Mayor Nick Wasicsko. Show Me a Hero also features Catherine Keener, Winona Ryder, Alfred Molina, Jim Belushi,  LaTanya Richardson-Jackson, Terry Kinney, and Clarke Peters.