“When They See Us”: Ava DuVernay’s Series Shines a Light on Systemic Injustice

The justice system in the United States of America is supposed to operate as you are deemed innocent until proven guilty. However, what happens for Black people is they are deemed guilty until proven innocent. That is exactly what happened with Kevin Richardson, Antron McCray, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana Jr., and Korey Wise, who were dubbed the “Central Park Five” by the media.

They were five kids, who ranged in age from 14 to 16 years old, charged with the rape and assault of a White girl in Central Park. These kids had nothing to do with the assault, and were in a completely different part of the park when it occurred. They were found by the police the night of the assault, and were immediately arrested. The police proceeded to interrogate them for hours on end, depriving them of food, water, legal counsel, and seeing their parents. Through all of this, they were ultimately coerced into confessing to a crime they never committed.

When They See Us is a four-part limited series on Netflix that tells Kevin, Antron, Yusef, Raymond, and Korey’s story. It is co-written and directed by Ava DuVernay, the masterful director behind Selma (2014) and 13th (2016). Brought to life by an incredible ensemble of actors, When They See Us chronicles the police interrogations, the trial, the verdict, and the aftermath. As one would expect from a filmmaker of DuVernay’s caliber, this is an incredibly emotional and gut-wrenching series that excels on every level.

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