CHICAGO — The so-called “Central Park Five,” black men who were wrongly accused of rape at a time when GOP nominee Donald Trump called for reinstating the death penalty in New York, were showcased at the Democratic National Convention on Thursday to criticize Mr. Trump.
Rev. Al Sharpton introduced the men, now known as the “Exonerated Five,” to accuse Mr. Trump of racist motives in the infamous 1980s case.
One of the men, Korey Wise, told delegates that they served a total of 41 years in prison and that they were scorned later “because of Donald Trump.”
“Our youths were stolen from us,” Mr. Wise said. “We were innocent kids.”
Yusuf Salaam, a city councilman now, said, “And when they see us, America will finally say goodbye to that hateful man.”
In 1989, after the five were arrested for raping and beating a woman in Central Park, Mr. Trump took out a newspaper ad calling for the reimposition of the state’s death penalty.
“These muggers and murderers” should be “forced to suffer and, when they kill, they should be executed for their crimes,” said the ad, above Trump’s signature.
Two decades later, their convictions were overturned based in part on DNA evidence. Mr. Trump later expressed his opinion several times that they were guilty anyway.
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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