When They See Us on Netflix

[Anonymous]

I need to get mentally prepare to watch it. But I will watch it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What lives do people have who watch stuff like this in their free time? Mine is so precious, def wouldn’t watch anything like this.

I never understood false confessions. My mind couldn't wrap around why someone would do that. But seeing it, even in a reenactment, it's mind-blowing and disturbing. My parents never had to tell me how to talk to police, or what to do if I was stopped. It is important to try to understand what other people live through and other points of view.

[Anonymous]

I can understand how this might be traumatizing to watch for Black/POC but it should be mandatory viewing for white people. I am a teacher and this plays out on a smaller scale in schools all the time- Black students are disciplined more often and more severely than their white peers. There is data backing this up. As teachers, it is so important we buck systems that criminalize black youth, address our own biases, and know how to help keep these kids safe. They face down a system designed to do this to them. It’s real.

It is absolutely heartbreaking to watch, but beautifully told and rendered. If you refuse to watch because it’s hard/not your problem/boring, you are part of the problem. Choosing to be ignorant harms people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What lives do people have who watch stuff like this in their free time? Mine is so precious, def wouldn’t watch anything like this.

I never understood false confessions. My mind couldn't wrap around why someone would do that. But seeing it, even in a reenactment, it's mind-blowing and disturbing. My parents never had to tell me how to talk to police, or what to do if I was stopped. It is important to try to understand what other people live through and other points of view.

Now think about all the people this has happened to who we will never hear from, who are currently languishing in the prison system or have already received the death penalty.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can understand how this might be traumatizing to watch for Black/POC but it should be mandatory viewing for white people. I am a teacher and this plays out on a smaller scale in schools all the time- Black students are disciplined more often and more severely than their white peers. There is data backing this up. As teachers, it is so important we buck systems that criminalize black youth, address our own biases, and know how to help keep these kids safe. They face down a system designed to do this to them. It’s real.

It is absolutely heartbreaking to watch, but beautifully told and rendered. If you refuse to watch because it’s hard/not your problem/boring, you are part of the problem. Choosing to be ignorant harms people.

Mandatory viewing for white people? WTF

False confessions and mis-identification by eyewitnesses are issues that impact every demographic, not just black people. This stuff happens far too often, but viewing one demographic as the victim has little to do with reality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can understand how this might be traumatizing to watch for Black/POC but it should be mandatory viewing for white people. I am a teacher and this plays out on a smaller scale in schools all the time- Black students are disciplined more often and more severely than their white peers. There is data backing this up. As teachers, it is so important we buck systems that criminalize black youth, address our own biases, and know how to help keep these kids safe. They face down a system designed to do this to them. It’s real.

It is absolutely heartbreaking to watch, but beautifully told and rendered. If you refuse to watch because it’s hard/not your problem/boring, you are part of the problem. Choosing to be ignorant harms people.

Mandatory viewing for white people? WTF

False confessions and mis-identification by eyewitnesses are issues that impact every demographic, not just black people. This stuff happens far too often, but viewing one demographic as the victim has little to do with reality.

It’s not about the false confession, dingbat. It’s about how they were targeted in the first place, labeled guilty and then the system worked to ensure they would be found guilty despite all evidence. It’s about the lack of agency and humanity they were given, how their lives were purposely stolen for political purposes. It’s the system that eats kids like them. Your comment only highlights how much YOU need to watch and learn.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can understand how this might be traumatizing to watch for Black/POC but it should be mandatory viewing for white people. I am a teacher and this plays out on a smaller scale in schools all the time- Black students are disciplined more often and more severely than their white peers. There is data backing this up. As teachers, it is so important we buck systems that criminalize black youth, address our own biases, and know how to help keep these kids safe. They face down a system designed to do this to them. It’s real.

It is absolutely heartbreaking to watch, but beautifully told and rendered. If you refuse to watch because it’s hard/not your problem/boring, you are part of the problem. Choosing to be ignorant harms people.

Mandatory viewing for white people? WTF

False confessions and mis-identification by eyewitnesses are issues that impact every demographic, not just black people. This stuff happens far too often, but viewing one demographic as the victim has little to do with reality.

It’s not about the false confession, dingbat. It’s about how they were targeted in the first place, labeled guilty and then the system worked to ensure they would be found guilty despite all evidence. It’s about the lack of agency and humanity they were given, how their lives were purposely stolen for political purposes. It’s the system that eats kids like them. Your comment only highlights how much YOU need to watch and learn.

Obviously you aren't familiar with the case. You bought into what the films producers were selling.... "kids like them"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can understand how this might be traumatizing to watch for Black/POC but it should be mandatory viewing for white people. I am a teacher and this plays out on a smaller scale in schools all the time- Black students are disciplined more often and more severely than their white peers. There is data backing this up. As teachers, it is so important we buck systems that criminalize black youth, address our own biases, and know how to help keep these kids safe. They face down a system designed to do this to them. It’s real.

It is absolutely heartbreaking to watch, but beautifully told and rendered. If you refuse to watch because it’s hard/not your problem/boring, you are part of the problem. Choosing to be ignorant harms people.

Mandatory viewing for white people? WTF

False confessions and mis-identification by eyewitnesses are issues that impact every demographic, not just black people. This stuff happens far too often, but viewing one demographic as the victim has little to do with reality.

It’s not about the false confession, dingbat. It’s about how they were targeted in the first place, labeled guilty and then the system worked to ensure they would be found guilty despite all evidence. It’s about the lack of agency and humanity they were given, how their lives were purposely stolen for political purposes. It’s the system that eats kids like them. Your comment only highlights how much YOU need to watch and learn.

Obviously you aren't familiar with the case. You bought into what the films producers were selling.... "kids like them"

Dp...then pls enlighten.

[Anonymous]

I’m so scared to watch it.

[Anonymous]

I watched it all on Sunday. I knew the story and it was still an incredibly hard watch. I am glad I made myself sit through it. It’s important to stare this injustice in the face even if it makes you uncomfortable and sad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can understand how this might be traumatizing to watch for Black/POC but it should be mandatory viewing for white people. I am a teacher and this plays out on a smaller scale in schools all the time- Black students are disciplined more often and more severely than their white peers. There is data backing this up. As teachers, it is so important we buck systems that criminalize black youth, address our own biases, and know how to help keep these kids safe. They face down a system designed to do this to them. It’s real.

It is absolutely heartbreaking to watch, but beautifully told and rendered. If you refuse to watch because it’s hard/not your problem/boring, you are part of the problem. Choosing to be ignorant harms people.

Mandatory viewing for white people? WTF

False confessions and mis-identification by eyewitnesses are issues that impact every demographic, not just black people. This stuff happens far too often, but viewing one demographic as the victim has little to do with reality.

They impact every demographic, but black people disproportionately.

[Anonymous]

Has anyone seen it with their teen? Is it appropriate for a 14 yr old boy?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I started to watch and had to stop. I read an article that said not to wait until you're in the mood to watch but to just watch it. It's so painful, though. I'll try again.

I've been reading a lot about the case, though. NYTimes had a long article about the case a few days ago, written by a reporter who covered it at the time.

I also googled to find out more about the jogger and what's happened to her. She's not happy about the settlement and feels that the man who actually attacked her did not do so alone, as he claimed, so she sounds like she's still suspicious of these guys. It was disheartening to hear that.

I did the exact same thing. Started to watch, got halfway through the episode, and I was so upset that I had to walk away while DW finished it. I've seen the documentary (also wrenching to watch) but something about this recreation of the events made it sickening to watch.

I feel the same about the jogger, who seems to express no remorse whatsoever that these young boys were falsely jailed for years. Of course it's not her fault, but to not acknowledge this huge miscarriage of justice.....

That's incredibly unfair to the jogger. She was the victim of an absolutely horrendous crime. She was injured so badly she was in a coma for 12 days, and everyone thought she was going to die. She had no memory of the attack and never identified anyone as the perpetrator(s). The fact that other people decided to railroad these kids into a conviction is not her fault. She doesn't need to feel remorse. She didn't do anything wrong, and she has her own trauma to deal with. There was some evidence that more than one person attacked her, so it's not crazy that she thinks that. The fact that the guy who confessed was never tried, and then the case was settled, means she never got the kind of closure that you hope for from a prosecution.

[Anonymous]

I just finished the first episode. I had seen The Central Park Five documentary a long time ago, so the details aren't all that fresh in my mind. It was so hard watching the coerced confessions, especially when the parents are sitting there and the cops are making them change their stories again and again to fit the timeline and locations. The blatant crafting of the story by the cops is horrifying.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone seen it with their teen? Is it appropriate for a 14 yr old boy?

I haven't watched it yet but will be with my 14-year-old Black son.