Previously:
As a White professor teaching sociology and diversity at a Historically Black College (Baltimore City Community College), I often dealt with sensitive and potentially divisive issues.
Roughly 3 decades ago, one of my Intro Soc students raised a tough question. Was the first chapter of our Intro Soc book – Society: The Basics (by John Macionis) full of racial stereotypes? Some background. Throughout Chapter One, the author talked about the Central Park Five to illustrate the sociological perspective. His analysis relied on media accounts and findings of the justice system, both of which supported a guilty verdict for these five young Black and Brown men. After an open and sometimes heated discussion, the students wrote Dr. Macionis and shared their concerns. To John’s credit, he not only responded in writing but also flew to Baltimore to sit down and talk with my students. What ensued was a learning opportunity for all of us.
On page 2 of his text, Dr. Macionis wrote, “…the boys (14 to 16 years-old) offered no sensible explanation for their crime beyond seeking the excitement of what they called a night of “wilding” (an important distinction: later it came out the boys actually said they were “wilin’ out,” slang for having fun or hanging out; not wilding). Macionis continues, ”Thus this terrible event provoked people everywhere to confront the basic question: What makes people do the things they do?” (author’s italics)
We now know that these five young men were falsely accused of raping and beating a white female jogger in Central Park. There was a speedy trial and a speedy response. Those charged in 2002 were exonerated after a serial rapist confessed to this crime, and a positive DNA match corroborated his story. Five young men, ranging in age from 14 to 16 years, served between five and twelve years in prison for a crime they didn’t commit. Now middle-aged men; it left an indelible scar on them.
How many of us heard of this story but until now, didn’t know they were exonerated? And how many of us know they’ve been exonerated but still assume they’re guilty despite overwhelming evidence. Research by Natalie Byrd, who covered the case for a major NYC newspaper, found that less than 5 percent of the many stories that came out after the attack referred to The Five’s alleged role. (Savage Portrayals: Race, Media and the Central Park Jogger Story). To this very day, former President Trump refuses to acknowledge their innocence and refuses to apologize for calling The Five “muggers” and publicly pushing for their execution.
That’s the nature of deep-seated racial bias. Even in the face of evidence that proves us wrong, we hold on to untruths about certain people because that’s what we’ve been taught over and over again. That’s not just true of our former president, it’s true of people in general, of us. Unlearning long-held, inflexible ideas about black or brown youth or any other race or social group for that matter is unbelievably difficult, but it can be done.
Ava DuVernay, who directed the documentary “When They See Us,” interviewed each of the five young men. Their forced false confessions were an indictment of the legal system, a system that rushed to judgement and pushed hard for a guilty plea from the get-go. And rather than critically evaluating what may or may not have taken place, the media simply caved into social and political pressure and fed the public what many assumed was true and wanted to hear.
Perceptions are sociological, in that they have everything to do with our cultural milieu. Culture, if you will, is the screen through which we see and process information. Hence the title, “When They See Us.” It refers to the many youth of color who continue to be dehumanized, blamed, judged and accused on the spot when a crime takes place.
My Intro Soc students taught me a valuable lesson, one of many that semester. It’s a lesson I wouldn’t have learned if not for a classroom climate that valued diversity and encouraged questions as well as honesty. Dr. Macionis benefited as well. He agreed to take out any reference to the Central Park Five in future editions of his widely-used Intro Soc text and sent each of the students who met with him a copy of the new edition once it came out.
Note: I recently watched Ava DuVernay’s excellent television miniseries (Netflix), “When They See Us,” which got me thinking about this class. DuVernay does an excellent job of humanizing the five boys (now men) who were referred to as The Central Park Five, and years later were exonerated. I highly recommend it.
Check out:
Dr. Bucher’s Web site on Diversity Consciousness: Opening Our Minds to People, Cultures, and Opportunities
Buy Dr. Bucher’s book – Diversity Consciousness
Dr. Bucher’s Facebook page on Diversity Consciousness Links to more from Dr. Bucher