[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 68 (Tuesday, April 20, 2021)]
[House]
[Page H1958]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          THE EXONERATED FIVE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Espaillat) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. ESPAILLAT. Madam Speaker, yesterday, April 19, marked the 32nd 
anniversary of a terrible assault, a sexual assault in Central Park 
that marked the history and marked really the story of New York City.
  But it was also one that resulted in the wrongful arrest and 
conviction of five young Black and Latino boys for a crime that they 
did not commit. For years, they were known as the Central Park Five. 
But after years of injustice and now long after being exonerated, they 
are now known as the Exonerated Five.
  These young men were minors. They were really young boys who were 
innocent of every single crime they were charged of, and still spent 
from 6 to 13 years behind bars. They have faced a horrendous story.
  They have names. They have faces. They have first names and last 
names, and they are: Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, 
Raymond Santana, and Korey Wise. They will be here in the Capitol, 
Madam Speaker, tomorrow.
  Each one of these young men were deprived of their childhoods, of 
their innocence, and, most important, of their future. Racial bias and 
bigotry were at the crux of these young men being deprived of their 
civil liberties. It is an old tale.

  These young men aren't alone in their stories. They are the stories 
of so many young Black men, Brown men, and Black and Brown young women 
in our country. As we brace for a court decision, Madam Speaker, they 
will be visiting the Capitol as free men tomorrow.
  But this isn't a story just of misfortune. It is also a story of 
resilience, the resilience of little boys who were turned into men far 
too soon; the resilience of a community that never stopped fighting for 
justice, including grassroots organizing and Council Member Bill 
Perkins; and the resilience of those that continue to fight today, 
continue to fight for change, and continue to fight for a new just 
criminal justice system.
  This is an opportune debate, Madam Speaker, as we brace for a court 
decision that we hope will be just and that the Nation will be in 
peace; a criminal justice system that, today, often criminalizes far 
too many Black and Brown young people.
  We see stories like theirs replay in the evening news each and every 
day. So we must never forget. When we see another Black and Brown young 
man being targeted, pulled over, handcuffed, shot to death in the 
street, knees on their necks, all while they are innocent, we know that 
this is not justice.
  That is why we need to continue in our fight transforming policing in 
our country. We know that is not justice. We cannot allow law 
enforcement to get away with use of excessive force on many young 
people across this country and ruining their futures. We know that is 
not justice.
  End the choke hold. End the no-knock warrants. Transform our criminal 
justice system. End over-policing of Black and Brown people. Abolish 
the death penalty. Dismantle the institutions that are rooted in white 
supremacy.

                              {time}  1015

  No one should have to lose their life or be robbed of their future, 
Madam Speaker, because we didn't step up and fix our broken system. We 
know that is not justice.
  Madam Speaker, 32 years ago, five young men from Harlem were robbed 
of their future, but alas they rose above and stand tall today as 
leaders, advocates, and activists fighting tirelessly to reimagine how 
we see justice in our country. They have given back to their 
communities and to our country, and we thank them for their 
perseverance, for using their voices for change and for coming here to 
this Capitol tomorrow.
  I hope that we use this anniversary on both sides of the aisle as a 
reminder of how much work still needs to be done to transform our 
institutions to serve every single one of us.

                          ____________________