![Quantcast](http://pixel.quantserve.com/pixel/p-GS-HF4BKvzCmv.gif)
![When They See Us: 5 Things You Didn't Know About The Central Park Five](https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xOTU3NDQzMy9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTc3OTE0MzUxNn0.QoSptUZUPwxz-0vZi7IZyOBMakLnZfVZPSTk4bhOr7U/img.jpg?width=1200&height=600&quality=90&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C750)
When They See Us: 5 Things You Didn't Know About The Central Park Five
Nearly 30 years ago, five teens from New York were convicted of a crime that would ultimately rewrite the narrative of black youth in America and paint a horrific picture of how black Americans are mistreated by police and the criminal justice system as a whole.
The late-eighties were a tumultuous time for race relations in this country where everything was seen in black and white. This was made abundantly clear after a 28-year-old white woman was found bloody, beaten, raped, and left for dead one night in Central Park, making teen in the area a suspect. After a night of subpar police work, detectives had five black and brown boys in custody for a crime that we would later learn they did not commit.
After garnering a whole gang of false confessions and literally no substantial evidence, five boys, aged 13-16 were convicted of rape, robbery, attempted murder, and sexual abuse, and were sentenced to up to 15 years in prison.
Ava Duvernay's four-part Netflix series When They See Us tells the story of these young boys and their families who fought for justice and were ultimately cleared of all charges. Since the limited series was released, the world has reacted in a major way, even causing lead prosecutor on the case, Linda Fairstein to delete her social media pages. If you haven't seen it yet, it's time to hit up your ex for that Netflix password, sis, because this series offers vital information that we can all learn from when it comes to protecting ourselves in this country. Here's a few things you might not have known about the case:
Donald Trump Helped Create The Narrative
Netflix
Racism. Injustice. Corruption. It's only right that 45 take his rightful place in this history of f*ckery. Donnie was making problematic political moves way back in 1989, when he paid for full page ads in New York newspapers (totaling about $85,000) that called for the five boys to face the death penalty after their convictions.
Even after the victims were cleared and the real perpetrator was convicted, he stood strong on his belief that the five men were guilty and refused to issue any form of apology.
It's Been A Hard Week Linda Fairstein, And It's Only Monday
Listen, Linda. You know you done f*cked up, right? While I'm sure her original intentions were as pure as any white woman with undeniable racial bias, Linda Fairstein is a true example of the type of people we DO NOT need in our criminal justice system.
Her willingness to demonize and take the lives away from five young boys based on a whim was criminal and according to Black Twitter, we're not opposed to street justice via social media. Since the documentary aired, the former prosecutor has deleted all of her social media accounts and a petition has been created that calls for Amazon, Audible, and all other book retailers to remove all of her books from their platforms.
The Central Park 5 Asked Ava To Tell Their Story
After the debut of Ava Duvernay's film, Selma, in 2015, everyone was dying to know what Ava had up her sleeve next, including Raymond Santana, who reached out to the popular director via tweet. After a brief exchange via DM, Ava put her thinking cap on and got to work.
"I found myself at a dinner in Harlem with Kevin [Richardson], Yusef [Salaam], and Raymond. It was very powerful to have them all together. The thing that really struck me is no one's ever heard their story beyond 'the crime,' or the night itself. The documentary does a beautiful job of recounting that night, but when I sat with them and they told me about everything else, that was really fascinating."
Two years later, the series was announced and the boys would finally have a chance to tell their story in its entirety. Although there had been a wildly popular PBS documentary that shed light on their experience, they expressed that no one had ever told their story beyond their alleged crimes.
Ava told Vanity Fair that although she was honored to tell their story, it wasn't easy and she even provided a crisis counselor on set.
"It wasn't a very healthy thing to do. But they asked me to do it, and I wanted to tell their story. Their story wasn't told when they were boys. It was told for them and it was twisted and it was lies. There was so much more to it, and I wanted to tell it for them."
The Real Reason The Last Episode Is Dedicated To Korey Wise
When creating the limited series, Korey expressed that his experience was much different from the Central Park Five, because as the oldest of the group, he was treated much differently both before and after his conviction. Ava explained that because of this, she wanted to make sure that she told his story much differently.
"When I first met Korey, within 15 minutes he said, 'There is no Central Park Five, it's four plus one.' And I never forgot that. He looked me in the eyes and he said, 'They had an experience and I had an experience. They are not the same.' He had some pain and some anger about being lumped into the Central Park Five when the four were in juvenile hall detention."
Korey, who only went to jail to accompany a scared friend, wasn't even on the list of suspects but was eventually coerced into a false confession on-camera that would eventually seal his fate at Riker's Island and other maximum security prisons for the next 14 years. His time in prison would ultimately allow him to uncover the true culprit in the Central Park jogger case, but nothing could give back to him the last decade and a half that had been spent in solitary confinement.
"They eventually all went to adult prison, but they got out when he was continuing to serve time. And he was always in an adult prison; he never experienced juvenile detention. Going into Riker's at age 16, as you see in the piece, it made a very singular experience. And I wanted to honor that, so I knew I had to find a way to break him out."
New York Never Admitted Any Wrongdoing
Netflix
A true sign of maturity is being able to admit when you're wrong, so we're going to need the New York Police Department to put on their big girl panties and apologize. Like our current POTUS, the NYPD proved to be sore losers after the convictions of the Central Park Five were overturned and vacated.
While the city settled the case, offering the men a total of $41 million, they admitted to no wrongdoing. Ava told NPR:
"The city never apologized; they settled. No one on the side of the prosecution ever apologized. They've stuck by the fact that even though the real man came out and said: I did it, I did it alone. Even though all of that physical evidence was from him, was matched to the victim, and it was in fact him, and only him, these people still refuse to acknowledge that they — not made a mistake — lied. Lied."
When They See Us is now streaming on Netflix.
Featured image courtesy of Netflix.
- The True Story Behind Netflix's 'When They See Us' - Central Park ... ›
- “When They See Us” is a heartrending portrait of the Central Park ... ›
- Central Park 5 Timeline & True Story Behind Netflix's When They ... ›
- Netflix's When They See Us is the enraging story of the Central Park ... ›
- The Central Park Five: 'We Were Just Baby Boys' - The New York ... ›
- Central Park Five Tragedy Reframed in Netflix Series When They ... ›
- When They See Us (TV Mini-Series 2019– ) - IMDb ›
Taylor "Pretty" Honore is a spiritually centered and equally provocative rapper from Baton Rouge, Louisiana with a love for people and storytelling. You can probably find me planting herbs in your local community garden, blasting "Back That Thang Up" from my mini speaker. Let's get to know each other: @prettyhonore.
How This New Bond Repair Line Transformed One Mother's Postpartum Shedding Into The Ultimate Curl Comeback
This article is in partnership with SheaMoisture
For Crystal Obasanya, her wash day woes came shortly after her son did. The beauty and lifestyle content creator had been natural for years, but during postpartum, she quickly learned about one reality many mothers can relate to experiencing: postpartum hair loss. “Sis had thinning hair. Sis had split ends,” she shared about her hair changes in a Reel via xoNecole.
Over a year into her postpartum journey, Crystal explained she also had dry, brittle hair, noting that keeping it hydrated before pregnancy had already been “a task.” The 4C natural recalled going from thick hair during pregnancy to a thin hairline due to postpartum shedding as “devastating.” When it came to strengthening and revitalizing her hair, the new SheaMoisture Bond Repair Collection was just the thing she needed to elevate her damaged coils to revive and thrive status and get them poppin' again.
SheaMoisture is providing us with the cheat code for transforming dry and damaged strands into thriving and deeply nourished crowns. By unveiling their 4-step hair system, the SheaMoisture Bond Repair Collection is equipping you with the tools to reverse signs of hair damage caused by protective styling, heat, and color and is uniquely formulated for Type 3 and 4 hair textures.
The haircare system revives damaged natural hair by repairing and rebuilding broken hair bonds through a game-changing combination of HydroPlex Technology and AminoBlend Complex, a unique blend of fortifying amino acids formulated specifically for curly and coily hair. Scientifically proven to reduce breakage by 84% and make your hair six times stronger (vs. non-conditioning shampoo), the collection infuses your hair with the nourishment it craves and the strength it deserves.
All five products of the SheaMoisture Bond Collection are infused with natural strengthening ingredients like Amla Oil and fair-trade shea butter. The collection consists of the 4-step breakage-fighting Bond Repair system, as well as the Bonding Oil.
“When trying it out, I quickly noticed that my hair felt revived and renewed, and my curls were so hydrated,” Crystal said while using the Amla-infused Bond Repair Leave-In Conditioner. “I also felt my hair strands were stronger.” So much so that the influencer felt brave enough to get her hair braided shortly thereafter. “I can definitely say that I will be keeping it in my hair wash routine,” she added in the caption of her Reel about her positive experience using the products.
SheaMoisture Bond Repair Collection is making bond-building a key player in your wash day routines and the purveyor of life for thirsty manes. Because who doesn't want stronger, shinier, happier hair?
Step One: Bond Repair Collection Shampoo
Rejuvenate your hair with SheaMoisture Bond Repair Shampoo, your go-to solution for luscious locks. Packed with hella hydration power, this shampoo adds moisture by 60% while removing buildup without stripping your strands. This shampoo gently cleanses impurities while significantly enhancing shine, smoothness, and softness.
The Bond Repair Collection Shampoo is the first step in the 4-step Bond Repair system, all of which are powered by the uniquely formulated AminoBlend, and HydroPlex, SheaMoisture’s technology that rebuilds hair strength at its core.
Step Two: Bond Repair Collection Conditioner
Tailored to repair styling damage, this creamy conditioner locks in 12x more moisture than standard non-conditioning shampoos, boosting damaged hair strength by 1.5x with significantly less breakage. The creamy SheaMoisture Bond Repair Collection Conditioner deeply hydrates, enhances manageability, and leaves your hair looking healthier and shinier.
Step Three: Bond Repair Collection Masque
This Ultra Moisturizing reparative masque is a moisture-rich game-changer for those dealing with the aftermath of hair damage caused by styling. The SheaMoisture Bond Repair Collection Masque delivers 13 times more moisture compared to non-conditioning shampoos, ensuring your hair feels nourished and soft. Designed to repair and rejuvenate, this masque significantly strengthens damaged hair — making it twice as strong while reducing breakage.
Step Four: Bond Repair Collection Leave-In Conditioner
Elevate your curl game with SheaMoisture’s Bond Repair Collection Leave-In Conditioner. Lightweight and hydrating, the Bond Repair Leave-In Conditioner provides 12x more moisture than non-conditioning shampoos and tames frizz with 24-hour humidity control. Designed to define curls and coils, the leave-in conditioner enhances softness and shine allowing you to detangle effortlessly.
Bonding Oil
The SheaMoisture Bond Repair Collection Bonding Oil is a multitasking all-in-one formula that acts as a heat protectant and provides the hair with moisture, strength, shine, damage protection, and intense nourishment. This lightweight oil not only offers 24-hour frizz and humidity control but also fortifies your tresses, making them up to 5 times stronger with significantly less breakage.
Featured image courtesy
How Investing In The Underdogs Helped This Woman Become A Multimillionaire
Money Talks is an xoNecole series where we talk candidly to real women about how they spend money, their relationship with money, and how they get it.
Chestine “Danni” Washington’s journey started off like so many others I know. Yet today, she’s made over $5 million in one month and casually took our Zoom call from a balcony in Cabo. Danni comes from a loving family who supported her. And while she may not have gotten everything she wanted growing up, she never wanted for a thing. But her path started to take a unique road when she made the decision to change her career journey from dentistry to psychology in college. Unfortunately, her parents didn’t see that as a viable career choice and made the decision to cut her off financially – thus fueling her journey.
Today, she's a multimillionaire who is grateful for them pushing her to be better, and that passion for mental health is as prevalent as ever. Previously, Danni earned two master's degrees and happily worked for three years as a therapist before transitioning to a behavioral analyst. But after having her second child, she decided to start a “side business,” which now has over 30 locations. She also owns a restaurant franchise, The Peach Cobbler Factory, and Chance for Change in Fort Worth, which helps men recently released from prison deal with mental health struggles and job placement.
So how did this woman conquer boldly following her passions while increasing her bag? She broke it down in this exclusive conversation with xoNecole.
Have you always been good with money?
Girl, no, not in college! I did what I wanted to do. I had my parents and everybody else helping out in the beginning. But I’ve always been a woman of my word. If I say I’m going to do or learn something, I will. It may take a little longer, but I’ll get it done. Every company that I own, I worked on it myself. From the EIN number to marketing.
For example, I remember I worked with an autistic child who was completely nonverbal. I helped the 4-year-old for 4-6 months and eventually got him to speak. Later as a thank you, the family tried to give me a check for $15,000, and I turned it down because I thought I’d get fired. So they ended up reaching out to my supervisor, and she advised me to accept it. I used that check to open my first tax office, and I still keep up with them.
Courtesy
Wow, that’s a really different field. When you started that business, were there elements you were unaware of that you needed to grow your business? Can you talk to me about them?
Yeah, we all need great mentors to learn and grow. Like, if you want to be a millionaire, you need a millionaire mentor. An example that sticks out is once I had a brand new EFIN number (which is needed to file taxes as a company). Everyone was telling me with a new EFIN; you have to work under someone else to file taxes – which I had been doing. And it just so happened that this guy named Reggie answered the phone; today he’s still my mentor. He ended up giving me the bank products and everything I needed to go out on my own. To this day, he helps me market, save, and manage. Because I still want to buy different things sometimes, but I stop because I know I should invest the money.
What's your splurge?
I’m still working on that. (laughs)
I feel like when you work hard, you have to reward yourself. Just like when you’re working with a child with autism, if they do something right – you should award them. But lately, God has been telling me before you buy that new car, you should probably invest in that restaurant. The only time I save money, though is if it’s in an IRA. Money sitting in a savings account doesn’t grow. So I look at savings like I might as well spend it or invest it.
"The only time I save money, though is if it’s in an IRA. Money sitting in a savings account doesn’t grow. So I look at savings like I might as well spend it or invest it."
Okay, now I have to ask, how much do you make per year or what’s the most you’ve made?
Through my tax company, we have over 11,000 clients. So how it works is, you’ll start working in December and begin getting paid in mid-February. But we have the “big drop,” that means that with 11,000 clients, like 3,000 will drop at the same time. So that first drop was $2.1 million, the second was $1.3 million, and after that it was like $900,000. It keeps diminishing, but we keep getting paid until around October.
So for example, in the month of February, I made over $5 million.
Oh, my God. I think it’s important for people to know they can really work to change their finances like you did. So can you do me a favor? Hold on to what you just said, and take me back to when you were struggling financially.
You know I had great parents. We didn’t have what we wanted, but we had what we needed. That’s why I’m so humble now. We weren't wearing designer, but we had nice clothes. They worked regular jobs. I think my parents wanted me to be a dentist, but I always loved talking with others. So when I changed my major to psychology – they cut me off. I had to work two jobs in college, and I’ve had cars returned. But I’ve always been a person that knew I could figure it out. So I really thank them for that, because it made me stronger.
What’s the best and worst business advice you’ve been given?
The best is to hire people that other people look down on. And the worst has been the reverse, hiring popular people. I hire people who work at chicken and fish plants, fast food chains, warehouses, and etc. I like people who have a story to tell, and they’re more loyal. My director used to work at Church’s Chicken, and she made over $200,000 this year. I’m really happy for her because she’s opening her own office now.
Yes, love that! When your finances started to change, were there day-to-day changes you had to make to maintain your financial status?
It wasn’t about doing more. It was more about limiting baggage. Don’t get me wrong, I miss some friendships. But sometimes you have to eliminate partying and stuff. When I got my first tax location and made $80,000, I blew it. I bought two cars, and by the last quarter, I had $2,000 left to my name.
I really had to go into a corner and focus. I’m very friendly, but my peace means everything to me. People can really come in and throw everything off.
"It wasn’t about doing more. It was more about limiting baggage. Don’t get me wrong, I miss some friendships. But sometimes you have to eliminate partying and stuff. When I got my first tax location and made $80,000, I blew it. I bought two cars, and by the last quarter, I had $2,000 left to my name."
This sounds personal. Are you speaking from an experience you can share?
Yeah. I mean, it was an ex-boyfriend. By the time I started dating, I was used to managing money. But that person couldn’t manage money, and I was the backbone. It was draining. I don’t mind going 50/50, but 100% is a lot.
You seem like you’re managing a lot. I’m curious: who is in your tribe? Who do you vent to?
Honestly, I vent to God. I don’t confide in people. I have a set of good friends, but I don’t get personal with anyone except God – and maybe my mom. People feel like they can judge you, and I don’t like that.
That’s true. Well, do you have a specific prayer or money mantra?
I talk to my prophet every Monday. I do cleanses. I don’t pray every day, but I’m working on it. But I do keep to a routine. Keeping to a routine is how to be consistent in everything and a daily to-do list.
Lastly, what is your final goal? Is there something you’re still aspiring to do?
I want to start traveling to different countries and giving back. I’d like to do that for a year. I don’t think I’ll start another business venture for a while. There’s been so much confusion and work. I’m just traveling and enjoying life right now.
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for daily love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Feature image courtesy