The Tragedy Of "The Central Park Five"
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Sarah Burns, Raymond Santana, David McMahon (Courtney M. Fowler/Neon Tommy)
The documentary “The Central Park Five”, directed by Emmy-Award winning filmmaker Ken Burns and his daughter Sarah, examines the 1989 high profile case of the rape of Wall Street investment banker Trisha Meili in New York’s infamous Central Park.
The 28-year-old white woman, out jogging at the time, was raped and beaten into a coma on April 19th, 1989 spawning what then Mayor Ed Koch called, “the crime of the century.”
Five African American boys: Antron McCray, Raymond Santana, Yusef Salaam, Kevin Richardson and Korey Wise (all under the age of 16) were subsequently arrested and convicted for the rape. The conviction was heavily based on the boys’ video confession after hours of being interrogated by the New York Police Department. Nearly fifteen years later, the five were exonerated of the charges when the actual rapist came forward to confess.
A screening of the documentary was held on Sunday night at the California African American Museum and featured a guest panel including “Central Park Five” member Raymond Santana, producer David McMahon and Sarah Burns herself.
“I hope that this film is the beginning of a conversation about the issues that we’re dealing with in New York and everywhere,” Burns said.
The film, which is a follow-up to Burns’ book, “The Central Park Five: A Chronicle of City Wilding,” offers viewers an examination of the stories and context beyond the surface of the “five.” With each of the men opening up for the first time about the case, we are walked through every detail of what is believed to be one of the most racially charged trials in American history.
(Courtney M. Fowler/Neon Tommy)
“I look back at the jogger case and wish I had been more skeptical as a journalist,” New York Times reporter John Dwyer said in the film. “You know a lot of people didn't do their jobs - reporters, police, prosecutors, defense lawyers. This was a proxy war being fought. And these young men were proxies for all kinds of agendas. And the truth and the reality and justice were not a part of it.”
In addition, to looking at the rape itself, the film also examines the outside effects that it had on New York culture at the time. This included pulling attention away from other cases similar in nature, such as the rape of a Brooklyn woman only a month after Meili’s attack and accelerating an already growing racial divide in the city.
“These were five kids that [New York City] tormented and when their innocence was revealed we nodded our heads and walked away,” said historian Craig Steven Wilder.
In the years since their names have been cleared, each of the “Central Park Five” have made strides toward getting their lives back. Currently there is a $250 million federal lawsuit against New York City for their negligence of due process for the men, but for Raymond Santana reconnecting with life is worth so much more.
“I’m thankful,” he said. “Becoming free was right up there with having my daughter and right now those are the priorities: my daughter and living.”
