When They See Us Opens Eyes Around The World

“The film we’ve made is a love letter to the marginalized, criminalized and those set aside and forgotten...” -- Ava DuVernay, Director of When They See Us [View Online]( When They See Us Opens Eyes Around The World [First Look]( Raymond Santana, Kevin Richardson, Korey Wise, Ava DuVernay, Antron McCray and Yusef Salaam at the [When They See Us]( premiere in Harlem, New York City “The film we’ve made is a love letter to the marginalized, criminalized and those set aside and forgotten...” - Ava DuVernay, Director of When They See Us [fb]( [tw]( This month, Participant Media and audiences across the world experienced When They See Us. The four-part Netflix series tells the stories of Raymond Santana, Kevin Richardson, Korey Wise, Antron McCray, and Yusef Salaam, the men they called “The Central Park Five,” and now more aptly named, “The Exonerated Five.” The series follows the experiences of these five Black and Brown men who were dehumanized and wrongly convicted by the American criminal justice system in 1989. After its May 31st launch, When They See Us received an overwhelming response from global audiences and media outlets, sparking a widespread conversation about the case, the men, and the need for criminal justice reform. Director, Ava DuVernay hopes that audiences will keep in mind that When They See Us does not tell one tragic story, but rather the stories and experiences of many people of color in the United States. The series demonstrates how the American judicial system functions as it was created and how it has continued to destroy millions of lives disproportionately based on race or income. Currently, 88% of individuals on Rikers Island are Black or Latinx ([Source]( Rena Karefa-Johnson, an organizer for the lobbying group [FWD.us.]( As stated by Color of Change Director Rashad Robinson, “There is a [Linda Fairstein]( in every city. The public must expose them, and hold them accountable for their actions as pawns in this unjust system — we’re focused on driving accountability for prosecutors at a systemic level.” “There is no reason to lock people up simply because prosecutors are allowed to set bail too high” - John Legend (via Color Of Change) #EndMoneyBail GLOBAL CONVERSATIONS & TAKING ACTION #WhenTheySeeUs trended on Twitter for its entire opening weekend and continues to be a subject of widespread conversations. Since the launch, activists and organizations in the criminal justice space have provided audiences who were angry about the reality of prosecutorial misconduct with resources to channel their emotions into action. Our friends at Color of Change have specifically developed a [Prosecutor Directory]( cataloging every prosecutor in all 2,372 local districts across the country. Prosecutors (often called District Attorneys or DAs) have the power to help end mass incarceration and police violence in a country with the largest prison population in the world. The directory is intended to help audiences find out who their local prosecutor is and how they can hold them accountable. For more information on the case and how police interrogation methods can lead to false confessions, you can check out the resource below provided by The Atlantic. [More Information]( “Gratitude to all for watching, sharing, discussing and feeling #WhenTheySeeUs. Now Streaming on Netflix” - @Participant “Everyone here is an artist because like art, justice requires imagination.”- Ava DuVernay at the Innocence Gala: A Celebration of Freedom and Justice The light recast upon the case in recent weeks has amplified mass calls for racial justice and accountability. Some professionals within the judicial field are examining the details and severe flaws within the case while others are calling for action and reform. Although the results of the case have been known to the public for several years, When They See Us tells the story from the viewpoint of the men and families moving people to action. Online and on-the-ground protests have called for officials to reopen all cases that Central Park Five prosecutors previously worked on. Moreover, the attention on the series has lead justice system officials to review their practices and begin conversations about reform at large. The conversation continued with the release of "Oprah Winfrey Presents When They See Us Now", an intimate interview in which the Exonerated Five speak to Oprah about their experiences and the impact of the series. A thoughtful display of storytelling’s potential to create social change, Participant is incredibly proud to be involved in producing such a monumental piece of work. When They See Us is available on Netflix. [WATCH]( Participant's digital entertainment division, SoulPancake, is an award-winning provider of thought-provoking, joyful and uplifting digital content. Spotlight on Grand Reconnections This month, Soul Pancake, a division of Participant Media released its Grand Reconnections series. The three-episode series tells the stories of three individuals who reconnect with people from their past to express gratitude for the positive impacts they have made on their lives. Check out this video of Hex surprising and thanking his mentor to see the deep bonds that can be built when we reconnect with others after years apart. [First Look]( Episode One Los Angeles street artist Hex reconnects with his mentor Carmelo. Growing up in Southern Los Angeles, Hex met Carmelo who looked after him and helped him to channel his creative energy through street art. Carmelo started Radiotron, a center to keep kids in Los Angeles on the right path by providing them with a space to come and DJ, breakdance or practice street art. [WATCH]( GET INVOLVED KNOW YOUR RIGHTS: POLICE INTERACTION The ACLU defends and preserves individual rights through working in courts, communities and legislatures, to ensure all constitutional liberties are guaranteed. Being stopped by police is a stressful experience that can go bad quickly. Find out what the law requires and also offer strategies for handling the following police encounters. [More Information]( HOLD YOUR DISTRICT ACCOUNTABLE Color of Change’s prosecutor directory catalogs every prosecutor in all 2,372 local districts across the country and makes them searchable, which has never been done before. The directory shows you who your prosecutor is, how long they’ve been in office and when they are up for re-election. [Get Involved]( FIND YOUR LOCAL GROUP The Innocence Project exonerates the wrongly convicted through DNA testing and reforms the criminal justice system to prevent future injustice. Their Innocence Network is a group of independent organizations that exonerate and support the innocent, and redress the causes of wrongful conviction. [Get involved]( READ THIS Social Justice [Ava DuVernay Hopes You Hear “The Heartbeat Of The Boys” In Central Park Five]( NPR [Read]( Equality [Two Transgender Activists Activists Are Getting A Monument in New York]( New York Times [Read]( Education [Teen Experiencing Homelessness Scores More Than $3 Million In Scholarships]( CNN [Read]( Like this email? [Forward to a friend](mailto:?subject=FW: When They See Us Opens Eyes Around The World&body=I was reading this newsletter from Participant and thought you would enjoy it as well.%0A%0ACheck out the Netflix series When They See Us and the conversations it sparked around the world.%0A%0ARead more: ) or share on [Facebook]( or [Twitter](. Feedback? Reply and let us know what you think. [participant media]( [Participant Media]( is the leading media company dedicated to entertainment that inspires and compels social change. 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