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PHOTO: CHIP SOMODEVILLA/GETTY IMAGES 
Members of the “Central Park Five,” now known as the “Exonerated Five,” addressed the Democratic National Convention on Thursday in support of Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential bid.
Yosef Salaam, Korey Wise, Raymond Santana, Kevin Richardson, and Antron McCray were wrongly convicted of rape and assault as teenagers in 1989. The case became a flashpoint in the racially charged atmosphere of New York City at the time, inflamed in no small part by Donald Trump, who took out full-page ads in several newspapers, including the NY Times, calling for the reinstatement of the death penalty against the boys who were ages 14 to 16 at the time. It was a move that all but sealed their fate in the court of public opinion.
“Thirty-five years ago, my friends and I were in prison for a crime we did not commit. Our youth was stolen from us,” said Wise on the stage. “Every day as we walked into courtrooms, people screamed at us, threatened us, because of Donald Trump.”
“Vice President Harris has also worked to make things fairer. I know she willdo the same as president,” Wise added. Years later, their convictions were overturned after another man confessed to the crime, and DNA evidence confirmed his guilt. However, Trump has never apologized for his actions.
Salaam, now a New York City councilman, said, “45 wanted us unalive. He wanted us dead,” he said. “He dismisses the scientific evidence rather than admit he was wrong. He has never changed. And he never will.”
Salaam invoked the words of Martin Luther King Jr., the same words he uttered upon his release after seven years in prison: “Free at last, free at last. Thank God almighty, we are free at last.” He expressed hope that these words might be echoed by millions of Americans if Kamala Harris defeats Trump in the upcoming election.
The Rev. Al Sharpton, founder of the National Action Network and a longtime civil rights leader, introduced the men with a personal reflection on his decades-long acquaintance with Trump. Sharpton, who has sparred with Trump over the years, offered a damning critique of the former president’s character and motivations.
“Only once in that time did he take a position on racial issues,” Sharpton said, referring to Trump’s infamous ads. “He spent a small fortune on full-page ads calling for the execution of five innocent young teenagers.”
Sharpton’s indictment of Trump didn’t stop there. He highlighted Trump’s consistent pattern of self-enrichment and divisive rhetoric, referencing his refusal to apologize for claiming that migrants are taking “Black jobs” during a recent debate. “Well, in November, we’re gonna show him when Blacks do their job. And we are gonna join with whites and browns and Asians and we are gonna do a job on those who have done a job on us.”
As Sharpton turned his attention to Kamala Harris, he evoked the legacy of Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman elected to Congress and the first woman to run for the Democratic presidential nomination. “Fifty-two years after she was told to sit down, I know she’s watching us tonight as a Black woman stands up to accept the nomination for president of the United States,” he said, his words a poignant reminder of how far the nation has come—and how far it still has to go.
Sharpton’s message was clear: the fight for justice, equality, and dignity continues, and it is a fight that will not be abandoned. “We have fought too hard for women to be told to get out of the kitchen,” he said. “We are now on our way to the Oval Office. We will not go back.”
His rallying cry extended beyond gender. “We fought hard for our LGBTQ loved ones to get out of the closet, we won’t go back,” he continued. “We fought hard for the right to choose, the right to education. We suffered and died and bled, went to jail, to get the right to vote, we won’t go back.”
TOPICS: central park five DNC 2024 Exonerated Five
The post “He Wanted Us Dead”: Members Of ‘The Exonerated Five’ Speak Out Against Trump During Democratic National Convention Appearance appeared first on Essence.
PHOTO: CHIP SOMODEVILLA/GETTY IMAGES
Members of the “Central Park Five,” now known as the “Exonerated Five,” addressed the Democratic National Convention on Thursday in support of Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential bid.
Yosef Salaam, Korey Wise, Raymond Santana, Kevin Richardson, and Antron McCray were wrongly convicted of rape and assault as teenagers in 1989. The case became a flashpoint in the racially charged atmosphere of New York City at the time, inflamed in no small part by Donald Trump, who took out full-page ads in several newspapers, including the NY Times, calling for the reinstatement of the death penalty against the boys who were ages 14 to 16 at the time. It was a move that all but sealed their fate in the court of public opinion.
“Thirty-five years ago, my friends and I were in prison for a crime we did not commit. Our youth was stolen from us,” said Wise on the stage. “Every day as we walked into courtrooms, people screamed at us, threatened us, because of Donald Trump.”
“Vice President Harris has also worked to make things fairer. I know she willdo the same as president,” Wise added. Years later, their convictions were overturned after another man confessed to the crime, and DNA evidence confirmed his guilt. However, Trump has never apologized for his actions.
Salaam, now a New York City councilman, said, “45 wanted us unalive. He wanted us dead,” he said. “He dismisses the scientific evidence rather than admit he was wrong. He has never changed. And he never will.”
Salaam invoked the words of Martin Luther King Jr., the same words he uttered upon his release after seven years in prison: “Free at last, free at last. Thank God almighty, we are free at last.” He expressed hope that these words might be echoed by millions of Americans if Kamala Harris defeats Trump in the upcoming election.
The Rev. Al Sharpton, founder of the National Action Network and a longtime civil rights leader, introduced the men with a personal reflection on his decades-long acquaintance with Trump. Sharpton, who has sparred with Trump over the years, offered a damning critique of the former president’s character and motivations.
“Only once in that time did he take a position on racial issues,” Sharpton said, referring to Trump’s infamous ads. “He spent a small fortune on full-page ads calling for the execution of five innocent young teenagers.”
Sharpton’s indictment of Trump didn’t stop there. He highlighted Trump’s consistent pattern of self-enrichment and divisive rhetoric, referencing his refusal to apologize for claiming that migrants are taking “Black jobs” during a recent debate. “Well, in November, we’re gonna show him when Blacks do their job. And we are gonna join with whites and browns and Asians and we are gonna do a job on those who have done a job on us.”
As Sharpton turned his attention to Kamala Harris, he evoked the legacy of Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman elected to Congress and the first woman to run for the Democratic presidential nomination. “Fifty-two years after she was told to sit down, I know she’s watching us tonight as a Black woman stands up to accept the nomination for president of the United States,” he said, his words a poignant reminder of how far the nation has come—and how far it still has to go.
Sharpton’s message was clear: the fight for justice, equality, and dignity continues, and it is a fight that will not be abandoned. “We have fought too hard for women to be told to get out of the kitchen,” he said. “We are now on our way to the Oval Office. We will not go back.”
His rallying cry extended beyond gender. “We fought hard for our LGBTQ loved ones to get out of the closet, we won’t go back,” he continued. “We fought hard for the right to choose, the right to education. We suffered and died and bled, went to jail, to get the right to vote, we won’t go back.”
TOPICS: central park five DNC 2024 Exonerated FiveThe post “He Wanted Us Dead”: Members Of ‘The Exonerated Five’ Speak Out Against Trump During Democratic National Convention Appearance appeared first on Essence.
Unlike the previous administration, new DC Studios co-head James Gunn is very active on social media. Since DC announced him in the role, he’s been teasing the fans about which deep-cut characters from the pages of DC Comics might be on his mind concerning future projects. Gunn has done this with random image reveals. So far, he’s dropped a few comic book images of characters that might excite fans—including a few that have yet to appear in any live-action incarnations before. Some he teased, like Mister Terrific, were officially announced just months later. Let’s tally all the Gunn hints we’ve had so far, while remembering they might not actually be hints.
The Martian Manhunter
Gunn shared an image of Chocos cookies, the DC Universe’s version of Oreo Cookies. These are a favorite snack of none other than J’onn J’onzz, the Martian Manhunter. In fact, it’s his favorite Earth delicacy. Originally, he was just into Oreos, but eventually, DC realized it would be better to create their own brand of chocolate cookie. The arrival of Chocos in an upcoming film or series means we might be seeing the Last Son of Mars in the DCU sooner than we thought.
Deathstroke
James Gunn recently hinted strongly at another major DC character, the super-powered mercenary Deathstroke. When the fan asked Gunn on Instagram to “please wink if you have plans for Deathstroke,” the DC Studios head replied with a winky face emoji. So there you have it — the deadly mercenary Slade Wilson (the obvious influence on Marvel’s Deadpool, a.k.a. Wade Wilson) is coming to the DCU. Where will he appear? It’s anyone’s guess, but we think there’s a good chance he is the villain of the announced Teen Titans movie. He’s their main adversary, so it just makes sense.
Mister Mxyzptlk
He’s been one of Superman’s most powerful (and annoying enemies) since the Golden Age, and yet, he’s never appeared in a live-action film. We refer to the imp from the 5th Dimension, Mister Mxyzptlk. This diminutive fellow is actually an all-powerful being, who can bend reality to his will. Think Star Trek’s Q, and just as annoying, and wearing a derby. He appeared every 90 days to make trouble for Superman, only returning to his home dimension whenever Big Blue could trick him into saying his name backward. James Gunn recently posted an action figure of Mxy on his Instagram, which is raising eyebrows. While the assumption is Mxy would appear in Superman, we think it may also be for the upcoming Peacemaker season two.
Captain Atom
The latest post from James Gunn suggesting a possible classic hero coming to the DCU came as a response to a fan question. When asked if he liked the character of Captain Atom, he responded on his Instagram story saying “I’ve been a big Captain Atom fan for a long time.” He even added comic artwork to his response. We’d say that’s a possible hint that he has plans for Captain Atom.
So who is the good Captain? Like Peacemaker and Blue Beetle, he originated as a hero from the Charlton Comics line in the ’60s. DC bought those characters and absorbed them into the DC Universe proper in the ’80s. Nathaniel Adam was an Air Force officer who volunteered for an experiment involving nuclear power and alien alloy, in exchange for a pardon for a crime he didn’t commit. Disintegrated in the experiment, Adam reformed decades later, now fused with the alien metal, and wielding nuclear power.
Nathaniel Adam then became the government agent and superhero Captain Atom, and joined the Justice League International. He was also the basis for Doctor Manhattan in Watchmen, although slightly less powerful. Along with Booster Gold, Green Lantern Guy Gardner, and Maxwell Lord, he’d be another famous JLI character joining the DCU. We think that lends further credence to our theory that the Justice League International is on the way to the DCU.
The Terrifics
James Gunn teased an image of the hero Mister Terrific back in 2022, a character later cast for Superman: Legacy. But now those plans seem to have expanded. He also shared an image of the DC heroes hovering around the Terrifics, a somewhat recent super team from DC Comics, introduced in 2018. The Terrifics are kind of a riff on Marvel’s Fantastic Four, as they are more explorer and adventurer types. Mister Terrific leads, and the other members include Plastic Man, the phasing Phantom Girl, and Metamorpho, who was also recently cast for Superman: Legacy. We could easily see them as subjects of a Max streaming series.
Deadman
On Halloween 2022, Gunn shared an image of one of DC Comics’ most prominent supernatural heroes, Deadman. Introduced by DC in the late ’60s, Deadman was circus performer Boston Brand. During a performance, a group of criminals murdered him. They (the supernatural powers that be) granted his soul the power to possess living people until he discovered who was behind his murder. In the meantime, he used the bodies he “borrowed” to help the innocent and fight various criminals.
Although a ghost, Brand’s spectral form still had his circus outfit and makeup he wore in his act. For the most part, he was essentially a superhero no one in the living world could see. However, a few mystical DC characters could perceive him. Despite being a prominent DC character for years, aside from a few animated appearances, we’ve never seen Deadman in live-action. From the look of things, James Gunn is hoping to change all that—unless he was just having some Halloween fun. Once upon a time, Guillermo del Toro talked about producing a Deadman project. Perhaps now is the time for that to finally happen.
It’s worth noting that Gunn recenly shared the image of Deadman again on his Instagram.
Lobo
And then, there’s the one that has everyone talking. Recently, Gunn posted an image of DC’s most famous intergalactic bounty hunter, Lobo, and fans got super excited. The “Main Man,” a huge seller back in the ’90s, was long rumored for a movie or TV project. In fact, it was reported Syfy was developing a Lobo TV series a few years ago, but nothing ever came of it.
With folks clamoring for Jason Momoa to play the role, including Momoa himself, it seems now would be the right time to see the space biker finally get a movie of his own. The character is an over-the-top send-up of tough-guy characters, but handled correctly, he made for some very funny comics. We think the comedy sensibilities of the character feel right in James Gunn’s wheelhouse, too.
Kingdom Come
Maybe the post that had fans most excited came on November 30. Gunn simply tweeted out the words “Making plans” accompanied by an image by artist Alex Ross from his seminal series Kingdom Come. That comic was all about an older Justice League vs their younger, more violent successors in an End Times scenario. Now, on the surface, it’s just Superman around a table with other heroes literally making plans. It’s probably just Gunn’s fun way of teasing his upcoming DC Studios plans, using an image of their headlining heroes.
On the other hand, he also used this same Alex Ross illustration as his featured image on his Hive Social account. Could he have something cooking for Kingdom Come? It seems way too soon for a live-action adaptation. You need to reestablish the Justice League first as a viable franchise. However, Gunn recently stated that DC Studios planned to incorporate animation as well. It’s at least a possibility.
Again James Gunn could just be posting random images of all of these characters and stories he likes. Time will tell.
Originally published on November 16, 2022.
The post Every DC Character James Gunn Has Possibly Teased for the DCU appeared first on Nerdist.