Image taken from Lafayette College.
Trigger warning: This article discusses the topic of rape and sexual assault.
At the height of the Black Lives Matter protests this past summer, my Instagram feed was flooded with lists of educational resources, such as podcasts and movies, that detailed the deep-rooted issue of systemic racism in America. These resource lists were shared widely in the hopes that white people, who have continuously been ignorant of racial prejudice across America, would turn to educate themselves and recognize that the policing, healthcare, judicial systems, and other foundations of our country have suppressed the voices of Black and other non-white communities since this country’s formation.
On one of these social media posts, the Netflix docuseries, “When They See Us,” was listed. After reading the series’ description, I recognized that I had never seen it and was frankly ill-educated on its storyline, so my sister and I watched it later that day. As we finished the series, it was evident that Ava Duvernay, the series’ director, brought such a sensitive story to light, exposing the unsettling truth behind our justice system.
Released in 2019, “When They See Us” depicts the lives, families, and story of the Exonerated Five. Based on the events of the 1989 Central Park jogger case, the series unravels the actions that lead to five young Black male suspects – Kevin Richardson (14), Antron McCray (15), Korey Wise (16), Raymond Santana (14), and Yusef Salaam (15) – becoming falsely accused and prosecuted for the sexual assault and rape of a female jogger in Central Park, New York City.
At the time of their accusation, the boys were 14 through 16 years old, and they each served between 6 to 13 years in juvenile detention and prison facilities for a crime they did not commit.
One of the younger boys that was wrongfully convicted for six and a half years, Yusef Salaam, spoke to Skidmore students this past Thursday, March 6th, hosting both a student workshop in the afternoon and a live Q&A later at night. Given how far-reaching Salaam’s story is, it was an honor to hear him speak about his commitment to advocacy and education regarding police brutality, misconduct, and racial bias in the American criminal justice system.
Yusef Salaam opened his evening Q&A with the powerful comment that the events inflicted upon him and the other boys of the Exonerated Five should be characterized as “terrorism at its best – of American citizens on American soil.” He expressed how the vulnerability of the juvenile boys was exploited following their accusation. Salaam reflects on his mistreatment with the awareness that the criminal justice system devalued the young boys’ minds and capacities based on their racial identities of being Black and Latino.
Sitting directly in front of a newspaper that read “Bring Back the Death Penalty” – a 1989 advertisement released by Donald Trump shortly after the Central Park arrests to supposedly condemn the lack of public safety in New York City – Salaam spoke with intense, yet poised, emotion. He shared lines from past letters written to him and his family, threatening their safety on the belief that he was guilty and worthy of punishment. Yet, he read these nasty letters aloud with conviction as if to declare his victory over the racist preconceptions that the American public had presumed about his character just a few decades ago.
Additionally, Salaam spoke of his relationship with the other four boys – Richardson, McCray, Wise, and Santana – who were all also convicted as guilty of the crime even without substantial DNA evidence linking any of them to the assault. Referencing their time in police custody, Salaam explained, “In the tombs of New York, we cried, we held on to each other, we were all we had. We made a vow then and there that we would always be brothers.”
More than a decade after the initial case, in 2002, the five boys were exonerated due to the assailant’s truthful confession. Salaam noted that all five boys, throughout the various lengths of their sentences, plead not guilty in front of the parole board at every chance they were given; they were all adamant about maintaining their rightful innocence. “That’s why victory was so sweet,” Salaam declared to his Skidmore audience with a slight chuckle.
Throughout his talk, it was captivating to see how Salaam derives motivation from the unjust treatment in his past to incite others to advocate for change within America's criminal justice system. He labeled the events inflicted on him and the other four boys as “a love story between God and his people,” a story that tracked how individuals who were brought so low could rise so high. He went on, “they forgot we were seeds...that we were able to emerge like phoenixes from the ashes.”
Even more, Salaam encouraged Skidmore students to recognize the higher reasoning behind struggles in life – they serve as moments to find your inner strength. Salaam asserted that “When you realize that you were born on purpose, you realize that you were born with a purpose. I knew that by going through this, I would grow through this.” His words served as a reminder that life molds you into a survivor.
Nearing the end of the evening, Salaam was asked about his thoughts on the current New York State police reform initiative, mandated by Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Executive Order 203 in July 2020. In response to this Executive Order, Saratoga county officials called for the formation of the Saratoga Police Reform Task Force, who have just released their recommendations for the Saratoga Springs Police Department. Although Salaam expressed some hope in the current reform process, he announced his aversion for “Tricknology” and “Politricks” – terms that convey the empty-campaign promises of most elected politicians. He specified that “We can’t plan in two, three, or four-year increments. This is our life. So when we vote people into office, whatever we voted them in for, we need to make sure they answer.”
In this way, Salaam called for Skidmore students to continue to pressure their local, state, and national representatives to take actions that they promised to the public throughout their campaigns. Indeed, powerful social change is ignited by community involvement. Just as Salaam said in his closing remarks to our College community, “When we find our purpose, we have to give birth to it, or else we would be stripping the world.”
During the evening, Salaam spoke from his published books of poetry entitled WORDS of a MAN: My Right to Be and Punching the Air. From the snippets he shared, it was evident that his poetry is delicately crafted to amplify the insights of his tragic experiences. At the conclusion of the online event, Salaam noted that he had an additional book of poetry coming out this May. If you’re interested in learning more about Yusef Salaam’s story, his pieces of writing, or his current work as an activist, you can visit his website here.