Exonerated 5 Rebuke Trump: Speaking Truth to Power and Injustice

The Exonerated Five, wrongfully accused in 1989, powerfully confront Donald Trump at the DNC, condemning his role in their wrongful conviction and standing firm against racial injustice.

Exonerated Five at DNC

Four of the five-boys-worldwide known as the “Central Park Five“-took to the stage at the Democratic National Convention on Thursday. These men, who were wrongly accused of a heinous attack that took place in New York City back in 1989, seized the moment to denounce one of their most high-profile accusers: former President Donald Trump. The men—Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Korey Wise, and Raymond Santana—were welcomed to the audience by the civil rights activist Rev. Al Sharpton. Not present in the group was Antron McCray, the member exonerated along with the rest of the group.

Falsely Accused and Wrongfully Convicted

In 1989, the Central Park Five were wrongfully convicted for the brutal sexual assault of a white female jogger in Central Park. The case was immediately sensationalized because of racial undercurrents and media hype. Despite a complete lack of evidence, they were all found guilty and spent years in prison. The convicts were eventually vindicated in 2002 when DNA evidence and a confession from the real perpetrator conclusively proved their innocence. They since became a poster child for the vast failures of the American criminal justice system, particularly for people of color.

Trump’s Role in the Case

Donald Trump played a large and controversial role in the Central Park Five case. In response to the charges, Trump paid approximately $85,000 to run full-page newspaper ads in The New York Times and other major New York City papes calling for a reinstatement of the death penalty. One of the ads said, “BRING BACK THE DEATH PENALTY, BRING BACK OUR POLICE!” and urged tough action in response to the public outcry over the five accused teenagers. Even though exonerated, Trump has never apologized or said the teenagers were wrongfully convicted; he backs what he said.

Speaking at the DNC and Rebuking Trump

At a speech for the DNC, Yusef Salaam, currently an elected New York City Council member, condemned Trump for his part in their wrongful conviction. Salaam criticized Trump, “Forty-five wanted us unalive. He wanted us dead. He noted that Trump has never changed his mind about the case and said he still believes Central Park 5 are guilty. She also spoke about the upcoming presidential election, with a hope that as a nation, people are able to come together and place Kamala Harris and Tim Walz inside the White House.

Another one of the Exonerated Five, Korey Wise, also spoke at the convention, laying out the chips of Trump’s actions during their trial. Wise remembered how Trump had spent thousands of dollars in the hope of getting the public opinion to work against them. He simply said, “We were innocent kids,” which really highlighted the injustice that was performed against them. Wise commended Sen. Kamala Harris, the Democratic vice-presidential nominee, for her work in battling for what was fair and just.

 Wider Implications for the Election

The appearance of the Exonerated Five at the DNC comes at a crucial time in the election cycle, since Trump is, for all he is worth, trying to woo Black voters in his efforts to be re-elected. The Central Park Five case makes one remember and reflect on racial injustice that still pesters the United States, and Trump’s involvement in the case may remind voters of deep racial chasms that persist. In the 2020 election, President Joe Biden won 87 percent of the Black vote; as the first Black woman to serve as Vice President, Kamala Harris will likely need to maintain or improve this support to win against Trump in the next election.

By speaking at the DNC, the Exonerated Five not only spoke of past injustices done to them but also pointed out the struggle for racial justice that continues in the United States. These were charges against Trump that underlined the urgency of dealing with such issues in the election to come, in the country grappling with its legacy of racial disparity and how to move forward.