Will They EVER See Us?: Important Takeaways From “When They See Us”
Written By Yolanda Stewart
Ava DuVernay’s” When They See Us” Netflix premiere took the world by storm.
For some, old feelings resurrected.
For others, newfound knowledge of the Central Park 5 case sparked feelings of anger and looming distrust.
It was a pain felt around the globe. The aftermath of the series ignited a fiery rage that called for the immediate cancellation of a former prosecutor and author, Linda Fairstein.
In 1989, the media demonized the characters of 5 young boys with turbulently fierce derogatory depictions. Because of insistent accusations and manipulative coercing, the boys who the world came to know as the Central Park 5 (CP5) weren’t given a fair chance to explain their side of the story.
The film chronicles the lives of the infamously known CP5, now reinstated as the Exonerated 5. DuVernay’s chronological journey of the wrongfully convicted teens into their adulthood explores the often-buried truths of the United States tainted justice system which holds systemic biases favoring gender, racial identity, and socio-economic class.
The criminalizing and racially fueled rhetoric recited by the media during the 1989 trial of CP5 and for the following years still lingers throughout America like a haunting nightmare. A nightmare black people still have yet to wake up from.
Through DuVernay’s keenly detailed eyes, and research, she brilliantly pieced the complex puzzles of this case and presented it for the world to see. It proves that even 3 decades later, the same issues are still relevant. The painful truth is that there has not been much progress when it comes to interactions between black people and law enforcement.
After seeing the series, I wondered:
What if these 5 young boys—now men, were executed even when the evidence proved their innocence?
It’s truly sad to think that it almost happened.
It’s even worse to think that their lives were almost taken through the persistent belief of guilt, which ultimately lead these 5 individuals to become prey to racially motivated injustices.
This series is mostly for those who believe racism is non-existent and for those who think black people are quick to play the victim. It makes you question circumstances like this:
Will our black boys and men, not only in America but the world—ever stop being perceived as dangerous and guilty?
Even with all of the anti-racism work, activism, and diversity initiatives that people of all colors fight (and still fight) to achieve true equality, it’s pretty perplexing to see our society allow certain systems to thrive to the detriment of black men and women.
The plight of young back and Hispanic men in America is not to be perceived as self-pity, but as an unfair reality—one in which there seems to be no escape.
History is indeed repeating itself, and, until we fix the root of the problem, we can’t move forward as a progressive country or people who should see each other as nothing other than human
It is impossible to heal without tending to the wounds. Some wounds require a little more time and patience, but it does not mean they should be forgotten. The wounds of the Exonerated 5 left scars in the form of their stolen innocence and autonomy. This excruciating pain that they –and many others like them have to live with, is something that we should make sure never happens to future generations of young black and brown boys.
This film is more than just a 4 part series. And it’s not exactly the first pick for comfortably entertaining binge-watching purposes. It’s heavy, eye watering, and emotionally impactful.
Treat this series as an important artifact, created to begin or continue a necessary conversation to help move the culture forward.
As Ava DuVernay said to the Exonerated 5 (Central Park 5) on Oprah Winfrey Presents: When They See Us Now” on Netflix:
“My hope for you is, that you don’t have to keep telling the story. It’s been told and you could live your life knowing that you won. We believe you and we see you.”