The Central Park Five will be honored by the City of New York with the naming of a gate after them at Central Park.
Exonerated Five
After three years of discussions with community members, the city’s Public Design Commission unanimously approved to inscribe “Gate of the Exonerated” on a perimeter wall at the northern end of Central Park.
Each member of the Central Park Five, Black and Latino spent six to thirteen years in prison after being wrongfully accused of raping a jogger in 1989. They were exonerated in 2002 after evidence pointed toward convicted serial rapist and murderer Matias Reyes. The attack left the victim with permanent damage and memory loss.
What The Gate Symbolizes
Once the five men were released from jail, they won a $40 million settlement from the city of New York in 2014.
Mayor Eric Adams was appreciative and thanked community leaders for their work on getting the project approved. He called it “a moment of truth and reconciliation” for the city. He said the gate would symbolize the Exonerated Five and people who have been wrongfully convicted.
