Last week my youngest daughter Clarissa and I headed to the Consulate of Mexico in Los Angeles, California for a special screening of the new Netflix mini-series “WHEN THEY SEE US”, which focuses on the important issue of racial profiling and chronicles the notorious case of five teenagers (four African-Americans and one Latino) labeled as the Central Park Five, who were convicted of a crime they did not commit in 1989.
After the screening, we took part in a Q & A with the Consul General of México, Carlos García de Alba, that was moderated by Oswaldo Borraez from Univision to discuss the topic of racial profiling.
Thank you Netflix for inviting me to screen “When They See Us.” All opinions are my own.
This Netflix series tells the story of five young boys of color ages 14-16 years, falsely convicted of rape. They were all illegally interrogated, pitted against each-other, and manipulated to create a scenario fabricated by detectives.
When They See Us was created by Ava DuVernay, who also co-wrote and directed the four parts. Jeff Skoll and Jonathan King from Participant Media, Oprah Winfrey from Harpo Films, and Jane Rosenthal, Berry Welsh and Robert De Niro from Tribeca Productions will executive produce the limited series alongside DuVernay through her banner, Forward Movement. In addition to DuVernay, Attica Locke, Robin Swicord, and Michael Starrburry also serve as writers on the limited series.
As a mother, my heart ached for these innocent children and their families. All I could think about was my young son Andrew, and how close he is in age to the boys convicted.
We often hear horrific stories regarding people of color being punished unfairly by our judicial system. This film about the Central Park 5’s incarceration and interrogation, took us on an unexpected emotional journey, and opened our eyes to the horrors that destroyed these boy’s lives.
The odds are stacked against our Latinx youth. Both black and brown children are often profiled as adults and seen less innocent than their caucasian peers.
How can we take a step towards change? http://bit.ly/2WNmMNK
Several hot topics were discussed among the panelists, but all agreed that these stories must be told to educate our youth for a better tomorrow. The panelists in attendance were:
- Ana Flores, influencer and founder of We All Grow
- Angelica Salas, Executive Director, CHIRLA
- Alex Nogales, president and CEO, NHMC
- Jessica Domínguez, immigration lawyer
- Pilar Marrero, journalist
We must tell the stories that are too often forgotten.…
This film reminds us that history isn’t so far behind us, and we have reason to be vocal about the injustice that continues today.
Stream and support #WhenTheySeeUs on Netflix TODAY!
