When They See Us (2019)

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When They See Us Movie Cover

When They See Us is a Netflix original TV Series released on May 31, 2019. It is a crime drama miniseries based on the true events of the 1989 Central Park jogger case. Directed, co-written, and created by Ava DuVernay, the four episodes series is about five teenage boys from Harlem which wrongly accused as suspects of raping and assaulting a woman in Central Park, New York City.

Plot

Based on a brutal attacks of the April 19, 1898, When They See Us explores the lives of five young men from Harlem related to sexual assault of a-28-years-old white female victim, a banker, Trisha Meili in Central Park, New York City. The innocent five colored young men; Kevin Richardson, Antron McCray, Yusef Salaam, Korey Wise, and Raymond Santana were falsely suspected and prosecuted for the incident. They were divided into two groups for trial by the prosecutor, convicted of various charges by juries related to the assault and rape sentenced to maximum of juveniles, except Korey Wise who had been held in adult facilities and served in adult prison. He was treated as an adult by the legal system as he was 16 at the time of the crime.[1]

Controversy

New York in the early 80-90s was far from the word “safe” than it is today, especially about the race relations and police. How the criminal justice system failed to protect them can be seen on how they treated these boys, from pre-judged guilty until proven innocent, leads to America’s reliance on fearing non-white bodies.

"Fear of blackness, or the fear of otherness more broadly, in many ways is one of the organizing elements of American identity," says Howard University professor Greg Carr. "And the whole four plus hours [of the miniseries], depicts that fear of blackness." [2]

Not to miss the role of Donald Trump in provoking the 1989’s Central Park case. He spent money of $85,000 on advertisements in New York, titled: "Bring Back The Death Penalty, Bring Back Our Police!". Trump convinced that the five black men were guilty. He wrote: "I want to hate these murderers and I always will. I am not looking to psychoanalyze or understand them, I am looking to punish them." [3]

The Central Park Five - they were known for - were jailed and found guilty for the crime they had never committed. Prosecutors solely relied on the initial interrogations, while in fact the DNA from semen did not match any of them. They were forced by police to give false statements and confessions of the incident.

Years after being prisoned, in 2002 they were found not guilty after the real criminals, Matias Reyes, confessed to the crime.

In a 2016 interview with the Guardian Salaam said:

"I would hear them beating up Korey Wise in the next room."

"They would come and look at me and say: 'You realise you're next'.

"The fear made me feel really like I was not going to be able to make it out". [3]

References