Please excuse my mini history lesson on mass incarceration of African Americans, but I believe it is crucial for a more whole understanding of the Central Park Five case.
It is no secret that there is a glaring racial gap in the American prison system. The initial imbalances of races in prisons was significantly impacted by the War on Drugs. The purpose of the War on Drugs was to define and reduce illegal drug trafficking, issued by President Nixon. When the War on Drugs was put into place, the use of drugs increased, as did the rate of incarceration, particularly among black males. At the time, there was a severe economic divide between white people and black people, due in large to decrease in industrialization in the 1980s, in which many African American workers lost their jobs. The case of the Central Park Five was a direct result of racial profiling. The media coined a term called “wilding” at this time, pertaining to the case, as mentioned in the show. This term means intentionally behaving in a wild manner in order to inflict harm on others. African Americans were the primary targets of suspicion. This ultimately led to countless young black men to pay for the sins of others.
As seen in the show, five young men were arrested for the attack and rape of a woman jogging in Central Park. Due in large to the War on Drugs and the increase of drug distribution in New York City, crime rates went up and black men were constantly under scrutiny. The fact that these five minority young men were wrongly accused and imprisoned for an act that they did not commit displays racial profiling in this country. When these boys were being interrogated, they got caught up in lies of false confession to the crime naively thinking this could get them home faster. Another man was finally found guilty of the crime, due to admission of guilt as well as evidence. While the Central Park Five were proven innocent, their lives were forever changed. Their teenage years were taken from them. They initially had difficulty adjusting to daily life, and later had trouble securing jobs. While this case forced many Americans to think about the influence of race on criminal accusations, this is sadly a very real issue two decades later.
As an African American studies minor, I was exposed to the extreme injustices displayed by the American judicial system. What separated this case from countless others like it was the complete media frenzy that followed the case for years. I watched documentaries and read books on the Central Park Five. I’ve always had exceptionally strong and disheartened feelings about this case. However, watching “When They See Us” heightened these feelings beyond belief.
This miniseries was broken into four episodes. The first episode shows how these innocent young boys were coerced into giving false confessions to the crime. We see prosecutors work to force the story of the crime to match up to the boys' confessions. The boys are literally bullied and beaten by police and promised release upon offering up confessions. Watching the expression on these young boys' faces completely broke my heart straight out of the gate. In the second episode, we watch the trials unfold. Even though there is no evidence, the handwritten and videotaped confessions from the boys allowed the jury to find them all guilty. Seeing the reaction from these boys, as well as their community and family members, brought me to tears. In the third episode, we see 4 of the 5 boys serve their time in juvenile detention, and see what life is like upon their release. I found the fourth and final episode to be the most painful. It depicts Korey Wise's time in prison. He was tried as an adult, therefore had the longest sentence and endured the most brutality behind bars.
The acting was harrowing and stellar. I’ve never seen such fine performances from such young actors. Their ability to capture the innocence and pain of these young men positively sent chills down my spine. While every performance was superb, one performance stood out in particular. Jharrel Jerome's portrayal of Korey Wise left me gutted. This young actor was the only one to play both the teenage and adult version of their role. I have chills just thinking about his performance. A few scenes in particular stood out to me. When Korey was being prosecuted by Elizabeth Lederer (played by Vera Farmiga), Jerome's face said it all. I could feel the rage, confusion, and panic that Korey must have felt. At that moment, Korey's youth was stolen from him. Jerome's performance left me speechless. He also portrays Korey as an adult, being held in solitary confinement. Watching Korey endure beatings, endless abuse, and hallucinations in solitary confinement was no easy feat. I cannot imagine the strength it must have taken for Jerome to mentally tap into those emotions. As a viewer, you feel the pain and anger Korey feels alongside him every step of the way.
I’ve never experienced such a strong physical reaction from watching a television show. Those who know me know I rarely choke up while watching movies, but this series left me a mess. There were moments that were so harrowing that I had to pause just to wipe my tears.
I am so immensely impressed by DuVernay's work on this series. She directed and co-wrote all four episodes. I loved that the intent of this show was to showcase the humanity of these 5 young men whose youth was stolen from them. It does not serve to reinvestigate the case or simply retell a story. Instead, it shines a light on the injustice minorities face in our country, while telling the full-picture story of 5 very remarkable individuals. For years, journalists and juries decided the reputations and fates of these young men. So many years later, the world gets to see them as they truly are, thanks to Ms. DuVernay. I would encourage every single person to take 5 hours out of their life and watch this series. It is so much bigger than a show. Watch it, feel it, be the change. This sort of discrimination is intolerable, and I am so hopeful that "When They See Us" will serve as a stepping stone taking this country closer to justice.
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