The “Central Park Five” men were celebrated for their courage.
Ava DuVernay’s When They See Us is receiving praise and accolades for its poignant ability to capture the tragic series events tied to the Central Park Five. Since the show’s release, justice has been brought upon those responsible for the wrongful incarceration Yusef Salaam, Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Raymond Santana, and Korey Wise. Moreover, the limited series successfully managed to shed light on the discriminatory treatment minorities at the hands police and through the criminal justice system. As the show continues to prompt varied responses, the real individuals behind the story are continuously praised for their courage in dealing with the aforementioned situation. In fact, the group was recently honored for both their courage and determination during and after the ordeal.
Michael B. Jordan did the honors and praised the Central Park Five men during a luncheon hosted by the American Civil Liberties Union Southern California. The actor admitted to not being able to watch the real footage from the actual story without getting emotional. In reflecting on the implications being a young black man in America, Michael B. Jordan shared: “It’s dangerous in America when you’re living in a black body. The whole time that these men were incarcerated, they never changed their story. They insisted their innocence even as they did their time.” The Central Park Five men were then given ACLU’s inaugural Roger Baldwin Courage Award. Yusef Salaam accepted the award on all the men’s behalf, shedding a few tears as he said: “I’m not ashamed to cry in front you. Our story is a story an egregious miscarriage justice.”