Photo by Aaron Watts

By Colin Royal, Editor-in-Chief

CHICAGO – Tears streamed down the faces of the audience as the Central Park Five recounted their story during the Democratic National Convention. Four of the five members of the group were in attendance. Raymond Santana and Kevin Richardson joined Korey Wise and Yusef Salaam, who spoke on behalf of the group.

Wise spoke first. He opened with an impassioned cry of defiance.

“We won’t go back!” he shouted.

The crowd cheered fervently in response to Wise’s energy. They clapped, jumped and screamed in recognition of the men who had been wronged by a system that was praised by former President Donald Trump.

After his introduction, Wise quickly shifted his attention to Trump and the former president’s involvement in the group’s incarceration.

“Our youth was stolen from us,” he said. “Every day as we walked in courtrooms, people screamed at us, threatened us because of Donald Trump. He spent $85,000 on an ad in the New York Times calling for our execution.”

The crowd was quick to boo at the mention of the former president and his actions against the five. Wise, in response, put his hand up with his thumb down, gesturing tandem with the audience’s boos.

Following his brother in conflict, Salaam powerfully started with a message of love.

“I love these guys,” he said. “These are my brothers.”

Salaam would go on to praise the strong men that he stood with, while condemning the man that stood against them.

“As my friend Korey Wise just said, 45 wanted us unalived,” he said.

Salaam continued to point out that Trump was a man incapable of change. Referring to him as a sower of chaos and turmoil, Salaam insisted that his audience use their right to vote to pursue a better future.

“We have the constitutional right to vote,” he said. “In fact, it is a human right. So let us use it. I want you to walk with us. I want you to march with us. I want you to vote with us.”

Before closing, Salaam asked the crowd to chant with him. He shouted, “When they,” and the audience responded with “see us.”

The power and sound from the chant filled the stadium, as if everyone was left feeling empowered. The Central Park Five truly demonstrated perseverance and the ability to pursue justice and change.

In the words of Rev. Al Sharpton, “Then, they were known as the Central Park Five. Now, they are known as the Exonerated Five.”

Copy Edited by Journalism Department Chair, Ron Thomas