Central Park Five Members Criticize Trump at DNC for Execution Remarks

During the Democratic National Convention, Rev. Al Sharpton introduced four members of the Central Park Five, shedding light on their past injustices and the role former President Donald Trump played in their wrongful convictions. Sharpton made a pointed remark about Trump’s long-standing stance on racial issues, emphasizing that he had known Trump as a fellow New Yorker for decades.

Sharpton recalled that Trump had spent a considerable amount of money on full-page advertisements that called for the execution of the five innocent teenagers involved in the infamous case. “He spent a small fortune on full-page ads calling for the execution of five innocent young teenagers,” Sharpton stated to the audience.

Korey Wise, one of the exonerated members of the group, spoke personally about the trauma they endured. “Our youth was stolen from us,” Wise said. He recounted how the group was consistently vilified as they made their way to court. “As we walked into the courtroom, people screamed at us and threatened us because of Donald Trump. He spent $85,000 on a full-page ad in the New York Times calling for our execution. We were innocent kids. But, we served a total of 41 years in prison.”

The Central Park Five were a group of Black and Latino teenagers wrongfully arrested for the 1989 rape and assault of Trisha Meili, a White female jogger in Central Park. Trump took out the controversial advertisement almost immediately following the attack, calling for the reinstatement of the death penalty in New York. The five teenagers were ultimately convicted in 1990, but their convictions were overturned in 2002 when DNA evidence linked the crime to another man who confessed.

Yusef Salaam, also a member of the Central Park Five and now a New York City councilmember, echoed Wise’s sentiments. He bluntly stated that Trump’s sentiment implied he wanted the teenagers dead. “45 wanted us unalive,” Salaam declared, referring to the former president by his numerical ranking as the 45th in office.

Despite the exonerating evidence that emerged, including DNA findings and a confession, Trump has maintained his stance and has refused to apologize for his comments from over thirty years ago. In a 2019 interview while serving as president, he was asked about the advertising campaign. He remarked, “You have people on both sides of that. They admitted their guilt.” He also suggested that some prosecutors believed the city should not have settled the case, highlighting his continued defense of his previous statements.

Salaam took the opportunity to address broader issues of justice and equity, stating, “That man thinks that hate is the animating force in America. It is not.” He called on people to recognize the importance of their voting rights. “We have the constitutional right to vote; 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.”

The emotional testimonies of the Central Park Five during the convention brought renewed attention to their story and the systemic issues of race and injustice in the United States. As the nation reflects on these past wrongs, the message from Wise and Salaam serves as a reminder of the need for change and the enduring importance of civic engagement in the fight for justice.

Source: CBS News