“When They See Us” is a powerful and thought-provoking miniseries created by Ava DuVernay. It tells the true story of the Central Park Five, a group of young African-American and Latino boys who were wrongfully convicted of a brutal assault in New York City in 1989. The series explores themes of racial injustice, police brutality, and the flaws of the criminal justice system. Through its compelling storytelling and stellar performances, “When They See Us” shines a much-needed light on the devastating consequences of systemic racism and the importance of fighting for justice.
When They See Us Quotes
Angie Richardson : “Happiness is something to look forward to.”
“Whoa, I ain’t no traitor. I am loyal to the soil”
Detective Hartigan : “You give something, you get something.”
Delores: “Somebody loves you, baby. You getting out!”
Angie Richardson : “I know you seen things, maybe had to do things, defend yourself, survive, whatever might have happened. But in the end, you have the same heart.”
Grace Cuffee: “All the guilt. It’s lazy energy. It doesn’t change the past and it doesn’t shape the future.”
“Come on, let’s get us some Kennedy. Please, baby. Yeah?”
Elizabeth Lederer :” I’m the one who has to sell this to a jury and the whole city is watching, hell, the country.”
Young Antron McCray : “If we don’t believe man, we already lost.”
Korey: “Sometimes all you can do is try your best.”
Korey Wise : “Put me in solitary.”
Korey Wise : “They said if I was there and if I went along with it, that I could go home. And that’s all I wanted. That’s all I wanted, was to go home. That’s all I still want.”
Antron: “If I had my way, you wouldn’t have took him back.”
Angie Richardson : “He’s got something to look forward to. You have to find one too. That the trick of a happy life.”
Linda McCray : “Don’t ever think you’re alone. I’m walking through this with you. You cry, I cry. You mad, I’m mad. You scared, I’m scared. You free, I’m free. You and me, always.”
Korey : “If they don’t wanna hear my truth, I don’t wanna waste my energy.”
Linda : “The eyes see, but it cannot see itself”
Mickey Joseph : “It’s about politics. And politics is about survival.”
Sharon Salaam : “You watch them grow. You start to think you did a good job. And then one night you look away.”
Korey: “The plan is you and me, little lady. Whatever you wanna do”
More When They See Us Quotes
- “You’re all I have. You’re all I have.” – Raymond Santana’s mother to him.
- “I’m not the one you think I am.” – Korey Wise during his trial.
- “It’s never too late to do the right thing.” – When a character urges someone to seek justice for the wrongfully convicted.
- “They don’t see us. They only see what they want to see.” – A reflection on the way the justice system treated these young men.
- “They convicted innocent boys because they needed to convict someone.” – A statement on the rush to judgment in the case.
- “I don’t know how to make them understand.” – A sentiment shared by one of the young men as he struggles with the aftermath of their convictions.
- “We are not the monsters they made us out to be.” – A statement of innocence and defiance from one of the Central Park Five.
