Jharrel Jerome Pays Tribute To Exonerated ‘Central Park Five’ In Emmy Awards Acceptance Speech

Jharrel Jerome paid tribute the exonerated Central Park Five during his acceptance speech at the 2019 Emmy Awards on Sunday. Jerome accepted the award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series for his role in the Netflix drama When They See Us.

The four-part drama series tells the true story of the Central Park Five — Raymond Santana, Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam and Korey Wise. The series focuses on the boys, who were forced into falsely confessing to the attack and rape of Trisha Meili in 1989.

Jerome, who played Wise in the series, was visibly emotional during his acceptance speech. “I felt like I was in a championship game, and we went through our final hurrah,” he said. “Thirty years ago they were sitting in a prison cell, falsely incarcerated, and today they’re in suits styled by designers for the Emmys,” he said after addressing all five men who sat in the audience.

“It’s an honor. It’s a blessing, and I hope this is a step forward to Dominicans, for Latinos, for Afro-Latinos. It’s about time we are here.” Jerome is the first Afro-Latino actor to be nominated for and win in an acting category, as well as the youngest actor to win Lead Actor in a Limited Series at just 21 years old.

Jerome took to Instagram after the ceremonies where he posted a video of himself celebrating with McCray, Santana and Wise.