Did SVU do a racist episode about tolerance?

Tonight's Law & Order:SVU, "Transgender Bridge" (my DVR called it "Transgender Bride"), was about a hate crime against a transgender teen. While it's great the show is addressing this hot button issue, they used old and racist tropes. Count them.


The transgender victim was a white, lived in a large, bright home with two very supportive parents. The perp is an African American teen who lives in a small apartment and has to make a hot pocket for his little sister because his single mother was "working a double."

The teen perp was in the park with his two friends and his sister. They were counting the money they made dancing, when they see the transgender girl. She was taking pictures. The teens harassed her while tons of African American teens egged them on and filmed it. One African American teen accidentally pushed the transgender teen off the bridge.

All the African American teens scatter. The only two people who stayed around, according to the cop on the scene, were two tourists, who were white. The cop on the scene corrects his pronoun ("he...her") but calls the other teens "Three black teens." Why not be totally PC and say African American?

In the first 5 minutes they show black people as close minded, violent, poor and uncaring. Meanwhile white people are caring, understanding, rich and good samaritans. Preventing and understanding hate crimes is important, but can we shed the racist stereotypes while we're at it?