Stepping into the Light with When They See Us

ATSUSHI NISHIJIMA/NETFLIX

I was a toddler when five Harlem teenagers Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana, and Korey Wise were wrongfully convicted of the brutal rape and assault of Central Park jogger, Trisha Meili in 1989. Dubbed the Central Park Five, all between the ages of 14-16, their faces were strewn all over the media with Donald Trump taking out $85,000 worth of ads advocating for the group’s death. Despite the lack of evidence and being coerced into confessions after being held for hours without food, bathroom breaks, and parents/guardians present - they were convicted and each served terms from six to thirteen years.

They were exonerated in 2002 after a chance encounter in Rikers Island between the actual rapist and the eldest of the five, Korey Wise, who was sentenced as an adult at the age of 16.

ATSUSHI NISHIJIMA/NETFLIX

I wanted to look away and avoid seeing this horrific saga of events when the release of When They See Us was announced. Then, I remembered that in 2010, a little over 20 years after the Central Park Five case, 16-year-old Kalief Browder was arrested after being accused of stealing a backpack. Although he was never convicted, he served 3 years in Rikers Island because his family could not afford his bail. He, like the Exonerated Five, maintained his innocence. Unable to pursue the case because the accuser left the country, his charges were dropped. Browder went on to raise awareness about his case but died by suicide at the age of 22.

Keenly aware of the ongoing injustices against Black and Brown people in this country and at times in fear of my own little brother being at the “wrong place at the wrong time” - I watched the limited series on Netflix over the course of two nights. It was difficult from the start of the first episode. For a moment we are able to see the excitement of being a teenager - hanging with friends and first loves, debating sports, preparing for band tryouts, and more. Duvernay painted the full lives of each one of these teens, guiding attention away from the dangerous stereotypes that caused the world to convict them of crimes they didn’t commit. Then, we watch as each one of their lives and the lives of their families are upturned by the relentless pursuit of Linda Fairstein who led the investigation and eventual conviction of these teenagers.

I understand why someone wouldn’t want to watch When They See Us - it ain’t easy. It’s a true American horror story. It makes you uncomfortable. It makes you sad. It frightens you to know that this could happen to you or someone that you love. Yet, that is why you must watch it. And you must watch it because these men although fully exonerated never got a real chance to appeal their case in the court of public opinion. They were were just supposed to walk away quietly as cases like theirs and like Browder’s continue to happen. When They See Us is currently streaming on Netflix.