Syracuse University will hold a benefit reception on Sept. 8 to honor Kevin Richardson of the Central Park Five. 

Richardson, who once dreamed of attending SU, will be recognized at a reception supporting a scholarship program for black and Latino students at SU. He will be visiting the university campus for the first time, 30 years after he was arrested for a crime he didn’t commit. 

Richardson and four other boys were wrongfully convicted for the 1989 rape of Trisha Meili, who was jogging in Central Park at the time. The five boys, named the Central Park Five, were later exonerated in 2002 when the actual perpetrator confessed. 

Oprah Winfrey interviewed the Central Park Five following the May release of the Netflix miniseries “When They See Us,” a retelling of the flawed police investigation and prosecution that lead to the boys’ imprisonment. The miniseries both rekindled outrage and renewed public interest in the investigation. 

Richardson told Winfrey that he once dreamed of playing the trumpet in SU’s band. Jalen Nash, a senior political science major, created an online petition in June calling for SU to award Richardson with an honorary degree. 

SU’s Office of Multicultural Advancement is hosting the event. Prior to the benefit, Syracuse Stage will perform playwright Keenan Scott II’s “Thoughts of a Colored Man.” The play, directed by SU graduate Taye Diggs, focuses on the experiences of black men in America. Scott will lead a panel discussion with Keith Alford, SU’s Chief Diversity Officer after the play.

The reception honoring Richardson will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Community Folk Art Center, across the street from Syracuse Stage. Tickets cost $75 for both the play and reception. Food and drinks are included. 

Proceeds from the event will be donated to the Our Time Has Come scholarship program.

 

Published on August 10, 2019 at 3:06 pm

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