The Central Park Five: The Untold Story Behind One of New York City’s Most Infamous Crimes – Sarah Burns

Just remember these were kids.  Imagine being interrogated for hours, intimidated, denied food, access to your parents, not read your rights and denied a lawyer.  All while being innocent.  Imagine being convicted, sent to (adult) prison and slandered and persecuted in the media.  Remember, DT put out 3 full page adds calling for the return of the death penalty.

These were kids.  Innocent.  In the wrong place, wrong time.

This book chronicles the purposely bungled investigation and the pursuit of “justice” during a pivotal point in New York history.  If you’re compassionate (human), you’ll loathe our U.S. justice system and the bias geared towards young Black males.

Kevin Richardson, Korey Wise, Yusef Salaam, Antron McCray, and Raymond Santana: It was fortuitous events that brought these 5 kids together.  A couple of them knew each other but within a few hours they were to be forever linked in the history of our decrepit criminal system.

The author paints each child as an individual.  Their hobbies, likes, dislikes and ungroups them so we can understand who they are – as people.  And she intertwines that with the crime ridden era of the late 80’s in New York City.

A perfect storm developed; a group of kids, a rape and Blackness that would forever change the landscape of NYC.