Throughout history Black men have been the victims of racism and prejudice that have caused them their freedom and lives. This racism and prejudice can begin to affect these men at a really young age, forcing them to grow up exponentially in an extremely short amount of time. This can be seen with the Central Park Five, where five Black teenage boys were accused of raping and mudering a White woman. The boys were all in the park with their friends at the time of the murder, they decided to go for a late night walk in Central Park. They were all wandering until they encountered a violent crime unaffiliated with the murder of the White woman and they started running away to avoid any conflict with the violent men. Immediately, the police arrived at Central Park and began hunting these young boys like prey, while making the assumption they’re only in Central Park causing trouble and inflicting violence on people inside the park. This prejudice and ignorance caused five of these young men to be taken to the police. The police officers involved in this case were not only prejudiced, they were also extremely corrupt and manipulated the children into accusing one another. They made the young men plead guilty to a crime they didn’t commit. These young boys were guilty in the eyes of the law and society for the simple fact that they were Black. The truth no longer mattered. It all revolved around perception and the prejudice society held against black men.
These children were considered guilty the second they walked into central park due to the color of their skin. The police never gave them the opportunity to defend themselves, they did the opposite. In their minds, the children were already guilty. The police did anything possible to make them look as guilty as they could. Instead of finding evidence, testimonies were fabricated and the children were manipulated into accusing each other of crimes they didn’t commit. The police represent the law, justice, and racism that is full of corruption and prejudice against black men.
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