When They See Us is a troubling story that is still relevant today

The Netflix original miniseries When They See Us, about the Central Park 5, teaches us about the systemic injustices still present today.

Anyone with a TV knew about the Central Park jogger rape case that took the nation by storm in 1989. The five suspects were young boys, but they were instantly dubbed the Central Park 5 like they were Marvel supervillains. It would ultimately be a supervillain image that the media and the prosecution were trying to conjure to prosecute them.

At the time, it seemed to be an open and shut case backed by taped confessions (no matter how inaccurate the tapes were) and a media conspiracy that implied that the teenagers were criminals out on a rampage.

What we know now is that the five convicted teens were innocent. In 2002, Matias Reyes confessed to the rape of the Trisha Meili. Not only was he able to corroborate his story with a play-by-play of the crime, but his DNA also matched the one collected from Meili and the crime scene. Antron McCray, Korey Wise, Kevin Richardson, Raymond Santana, and Yusef Salaam, were exonerated but no one could gift them the years they lost to a system that failed them.

Netflix’s When They See Us is a four-part miniseries based on the Central Park 5 story directed and co-written by Ava DuVernay of Selma fame. Instead of just recounting the events, DuVernay worked closely with the men affected to tell their story as a cautionary tale for black and brown children. The series is a lesson to parents, the media, as well as the justice system. Unsurprisingly, the series is also a wake up call to those ignorant of the existence of systemic racism. The scary part is that the subject matter is still relevant nearly 30 years later.

When They See Us starts off by grounding us in the reality of these boys. They had families, friends, ate fast food, flirted with girls, played the trumpet, and all found themselves walking into a park filled with kids hoping to have a good time. They weren’t out thirsting for blood when the cops barged in making arrests the way they were portrayed. The false narratives of the time are a testament to the cruel reality that people of color often face, it is not enough to be innocent.

DuVerney shows her audience that the cards were stacked against these boys even before the trial began. They underwent hours of interrogation with the bait that they could go home if they signed a sheet a paper. Some signed confessions were done without the presence of a parent and even the two that had parental support proved fruitless since the parents didn’t know better than to urge their children to sign in fear of the consequences from the police. Over many hours, these children were coerced into fabricating stories on tape just to get home. Many of these cinematic moments, while difficult to watch, could become talking points for parents and their children today.

Before the case even went to trial, the media was spinning stories that surely crossed the jurors that later convicted these boys. The word “wilding” was used to describe their motives, leaving no room for empathy. Donald Trump even took out an advertisement at the time, clamoring for the death penalty for these teenagers.

The boys were convicted even though there was not one shred of evidence that linked them to the crime or even the scene. This shows the important part that perception had in the final convictions.

It would be ignorant to deny what wealth, race, and class have to do with cases such as this one. In numerous studies, it has been proven that black boys and girls are thought to be older than they really are, and it matters. They are at a disadvantage when the odds are against them from the start. And if they don’t have the advantage of privilege, there is no way for them to protect themselves against the biased minds of those with unwarranted fears. These factors much too often become the seeds of systemic incarceration.

The aftermath of the Central Park 5 was not contained to those wrongly convicted. The ripples of their imprisonment affected their families and communities like radiation from a nuclear bomb. McCray’s dad was destroyed by the realization that he made his son sign a confession that would lead to prison. Salaam and Richardson struggled to find their place as men in a society where they were seen as sex offenders. Santana returned to jail after trying to make a living. Wise was sent to an adult prison because he was 16, and had the longest sentence, where he experienced extortion, abuse, and the lasting psychological effects of time spent in solitary for his own protection.

While we would all like to believe that things have changed since this happened decades ago, it is all suspiciously familiar to the injustices being felt today. Not too long ago, a young Kalief Browder spent years in jail and was subjected to frequent abuse and time in solitary for allegedly stealing a book bag and not being able to afford bail. And let’s not forget the hauntingly familiar names of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, and Tamir Rice who were all children killed by police.

When They See Us isn’t only the documentation of what really happened to Anton McCray, Korey Wise, Kevin Richardson, Raymond Santana, and Yusef Salaam. It is a manual for what needs to change.

What did you think about the Netflix miniseries When They See Us?