The largest park in Manhattan is getting a name for the first time in honor of the Black and Hispanic teens known as the “Central Park Five.”
According to CNN, the New York City Public Design Commission unanimously accepted the proposal to name the entrance to Central Park at 110th Street the “Gate of the Exonerated” during a Monday hearing.
An official from the Central Park Conservancy said the unanimous vote is the culmination of years of collaboration with the Harlem community and Manhattan Community Board 10 to remember the men — also known as the “Exonerated Five” — and all others falsely convicted of crimes.
An unveiling ceremony will take place next week.
“The Central Park Conservancy has worked alongside the Harlem community for more than 40 years, and we are proud to have helped the Gate of the Exonerated come to life in a way that emphasizes how Central Park is meant to be a place for everyone,” the statement said, according to CNN.
Lane Addonizio, vice president for planning at the conservancy, said a gate to the park on 110th Street would have “Gate of the Exonerated” carved into the perimeter wall.
She noted that it would also have a historical plaque explaining the significance of the entrance’s name and a QR code leading to internet resources.
In 1989, authorities falsely convicted Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana, Antron McCray, Korey Wise and Kevin Richardson of raping and beating a white female jogger in Central Park, theGrio previously reported. Before being exonerated in 2002, they each served between six and 13 years in prison for offenses including attempted murder, rape and assault after being found guilty in part due to confessions obtained under coercion from the police.
According to CNN, Sharonne Salaam, the mother of one of the men, said the gate “speaks to the idea of … exonerated people, wrongfully incarcerated people, people who fall under the radar and, oftentimes, do not have access to the services that are deserved by them” once they are cleared.
In a statement released Monday, New York City Mayor Eric Adams expressed gratitude to Community Board 10 and the leaders of the Harlem neighborhood for their support in bringing about the first naming in Central Park since 1862.
He called the vote to approve the naming and honor those exonerated a turning point in New York City’s history, “a moment of truth and reconciliation,” and said it was fitting that the world’s most famous park tell the world the story.
“The Gate of the Exonerated symbolizes the resiliency of the Exonerated Five and all those who have been wrongfully convicted,” Adams said, “and serves as a lasting reminder of the grave miscarriage of justice that took place more than three decades ago.”
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