Jharrel Jerome called the Central Park Five the “Exhonerated Five” at the Emmys on Sunday after the Bronx native won best lead actor in a limited series. The Netflix miniseries tells the story of the infamous 1989 New York City rape case from the perspective of the five wrongfully accused and convicted teens. It came out over the summer, drawing new attention to racism in the criminal justice system.
“Thank God for Ava DuVernay for writing and directing it, and for bringing Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana and Korey Wise to the awards show so the world could see their black and Latino faces”. Jerome continues, “I feel like I should be in the Bronx right now. Chillin’… waiting for my mom’s cooking.” The series hit home for the talented actor.
DuVernay has humanized these men, who all served time after authorities tricked them into confessing guilt in a crime they didn’t commit, which isn’t the first time we’ve heard of cases like this, but finally bringing it all to light.
Jermone’s win is the second Emmy Award for the Ava DuVernay directed Netflix series detailing the exoneration, while also winning outstanding casting for a limited series.
Congrats Jharrel!
