Korey Wise shares his story of life after exoneration, continued frustrations with the justice system during WMU visit – Western Herald
Posted: September 28, 2019 at 5:44 pm
Korey Wise told students that lasting criminal justice reform is still far from a reality as he shared his story at WMU on Friday afternoon.
Wise spoke in the Bernhard Center ballroom on Sept. 27. One of the Central Park Five, Wises story was dramatized in the limited series When They See Us, which received two Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Actor for Jharrel Jeromes portrayal of Wise. Wises appearance at WMU marked his first public appearance since the Emmys.
In 1989, Wise and the other members of the Five were falsely convicted following the rape of Trisha Meili. No DNA evidence could connect the Five to the attack, but the prosecution managed to convict on various assault charges. Wise was originally not a suspect, but was brought into the investigation after he accompanied his friend to the police station.
I was just a kid who loved his boy, Wise said.
Wise and the others were eventually exonerated when Matias Reyes, a convict who Wise met during his time in prison, confessed to being the real perpetrator. DNA evidence confirmed Reyes confession. Since his release Wise has been an advocate for criminal justice reform, sharing his experiences.
To be free is a state of mind, but to be free is also not a state of mind, Wise said, describing how the current criminal justice system deprives people of their dignity. You need to be free of parole, you need to be able to come and go as you damn well please.
Wise said that before his exoneration he had planned to max out his prison sentence to avoid parole. Parole, he said, is just another form of imprisonment.
Youre still the property of the state. You have a curfew, you could be 50 years old and still have a curfew, he said.
Wise said that despite increased media coverage, he feels that no real progress has been made in regards to criminal justice reform. In someways, he said, things are getting worse.
Its the Twilight Zone...[Police] now are more like robots. And when theyre afraid they get itchy trigger fingers. RIP Eric Garner, he said.
Wise also discussed President Trump. During the trial of the Five, Trump took out a full page ad in the Daily News calling the New York to bring back the death penalty. Despite the DNA evidence and their exoneration, Trump continues to argue for their guilt. Wise encouraged people to vote with the goal of getting him out of office.
Vote wise, he said, inciting a wave of laughter.
Wise continued with a discussion of some of the things that have kept him going over the years. During his imprisonment, Wise saw time in solitary confinement. During that time the only thing he had was his will to live.
I wanted to stay alive. I dont know why I wanted to stay alive, but I guess thats the only great thing you can do, he said. He added that his time in solitary provided a sense of safety that was hard to find amongst the general population.
After his exoneration, Wise took comfort in his family and in music. Immediately following his release Wise lived with some family from upstate New York. While staying with them, he worked through his emotions.
They were like therapists, he said.
Wise also cited music as one of his biggest releases.
Hip-hop is empowerment. Hip hop is self improvement, he said. Even in my home I just try listening to hip-hop and being hip-hop to keep a smile on my face.
Wise concluded by answering a question regarding his portrayal in When They See Us. Describing what it was like to see himself portrayed on film, Wise said:
[It is] very hard. I dont see it everyday. Most weeks I dont see it at all, but when I do see it I dont process it.
After the event Taylor West, WSA vice president and one of the events organizers, said that bringing Wise to WMU is one of the most exciting moments of her time as a student.
It was so emotional, she said. Seeing how many people actually showed up, listening to him, it was amazing.
Continued here:
Korey Wise shares his story of life after exoneration, continued frustrations with the justice system during WMU visit - Western Herald
- New Years Resolutions Dont Have to Be about Weight Loss: Why Conducting a Trademark Audit Should Be Part of Your Companys New Years Resolutions - JD... - January 22nd, 2021
- [Full text] The Effectiveness of a Self-Efficacy-Focused Structured Education Prog | DMSO - Dove Medical Press - January 22nd, 2021
- Why it's important to admit when you're wrong - Big Think - January 22nd, 2021
- How Russia and the West try to weaken each other - European Council on Foreign Relations - January 22nd, 2021
- These Self-Help Books by Latinxs Are the Best Guides to Start the New Year Right - POPSUGAR - January 22nd, 2021
- James Maddison: talented, engaging and the essence of the 2021 footballer - The Athletic - January 22nd, 2021
- Ways to Prevent Staff Discipline and Termination in Self-Storage and What to Do When You Can't - Inside Self-Storage - January 22nd, 2021
- 21 Podcasts to Look Forward to in 2021 - Vanity Fair - January 22nd, 2021
- BARSTOOL ASTROLOGY FROM THE FLORIDA KEYS - Florida Keys Weekly - January 22nd, 2021
- Get smart: the best online courses to become an even better you this lockdown - Evening Standard - January 22nd, 2021
- Huddersfield Town's Harry Toffolo reveals ambitious benchmark he aspires to reach - Yorkshire Live - January 22nd, 2021
- Bill Dinkins's newly released Titanic constructs a brilliant way of embracing spiritual insights and truths. - PR Web - January 22nd, 2021
- 0119_Astro | | albanyherald.com - The Albany Herald - January 22nd, 2021
- David Michigans Fortune: The Secret to this Self-Made Millionaires Wealth - Fortune India - January 22nd, 2021
- CS:GO's Overwatch system is in the works for Dota 2 - Dot Esports - January 22nd, 2021
- How this company leveraged AI to become the Netflix of Finland - The Next Web - January 22nd, 2021
- 9 shows and movies that will inspire you to be better, streaming on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and JioCinema - VOGUE India - January 22nd, 2021
- Too Busy to Read? Use These Educational Audio Courses Instead - MakeUseOf - December 1st, 2020
- Garett Bolles Opens Up on the Epiphany That Led to him Becoming NFL's Top-Graded Left Tackle - Sports Illustrated - December 1st, 2020
- A Guide to Substantially Improving Your Life in 3 Frugal Ways - University Herald - December 1st, 2020
- Lucifer: 5 Things We Love About Dan (& 5 Reasons We Hate Him) - Screen Rant - December 1st, 2020
- People share the life hacks that sound terrible but really work - New Zealand Herald - December 1st, 2020
- The 3 Most Important Questions to Ask Before If and When You Stop and Ask for the Business by Sofiya Machulskaya - ABCmoney.co.uk - December 1st, 2020
- Aiteos 21 Years of Consistency and Commitment to Serving Africas Communities - THISDAY Newspapers - December 1st, 2020
- The Big Business of Being an Ally - ELLE.com - December 1st, 2020
- Self-improvement guru sentenced to 120 years for turning some followers into sex slaves - WJW FOX 8 News Cleveland - October 28th, 2020
- 5 self-improvement books that will change your life - Prestige Online - October 28th, 2020
- 7 Reasons Vegans Are More Likely to Be Women Than Men - The Beet - October 28th, 2020
- David Byrne on Voter Suppression, Self-Improvement, and Why the Talking Heads Still Wont Reunite - IndieWire - October 4th, 2020
- FT Assistant Store Manager job with Tory Burch | 147475 - The Business of Fashion - October 4th, 2020
- 'Assistance provided by govt to help improve people's lives' - The Borneo Post - October 4th, 2020
- Hunting the big wave: Topsail's Gianni Pike perseveres through challenges of autism - StarNewsOnline.com - October 4th, 2020
- 'The 100' series finale review: Who wants to live forever? - Hypable - October 4th, 2020
- Cort McMurray: Bake that bread. Write that novel. Self-improvement is hard, but its liberating. - Houston Chronicle - September 30th, 2020
- Pisces: Avoid getting into needless debates with others - The Bethel Citizen - September 30th, 2020
- Jay Shetty and Ranveer Allahbadia come together to talk about the various aspects of self-improvement - Times of India - September 30th, 2020
- Being Alone vs loneliness: What is the difference between THESE two states? - PINKVILLA - September 30th, 2020
- 20 Best Documentaries on Hulu - Hulu Original, Crime, and More Documentaries - GoodHousekeeping.com - September 30th, 2020
- Why Aubameyang Passed Up Big Offer From Barcelona To Stay At Arsenal - International Business Times - September 30th, 2020
- 3 Signs DocuSign Could Be the Future Leader of a $45 Billion Industry - The Motley Fool - September 30th, 2020
- Getting to the Meaning of Mariah Carey - The Ringer - September 30th, 2020
- Saraki, Fayemi Commend Adenuga's Influence on Nation Building - THISDAY Newspapers - September 30th, 2020
- Endgame: Each Avenger's Reaction To The Snap Revealed Their Key Weakness - Screen Rant - September 30th, 2020
- The Pandemic Has Accelerated and Spawned Trends That Startups and Small Businesses Can Leverage - Direct Selling News - September 30th, 2020
- Walters named coach: I can unite Broncos and return to finals next year - NRL.COM - September 30th, 2020
- Take your career to the next level with this hands-on entrepreneur training - Boing Boing - September 10th, 2020
- Mike Signorelli Shares 3 Habits That Develop Simple Living & High Thinking Lifestyle - Yahoo Finance - September 10th, 2020
- Small Changes That Can Improve Your Confidence In Your Appearance - We Heart - September 10th, 2020
- 6 apps and tech innovations that could help you find your dream job - Northumberland Gazette - September 10th, 2020
- Gain clarity with a life audit - Eve Woman - The Standard - September 10th, 2020
- Grupo Bimbo May Be Coming Out Of Hibernation, As Improving Market Share Can Drive Better Margins And Stock Multiples - Seeking Alpha - September 10th, 2020
- Opinion | There's more to Daddy Issues than meets the eye - The Breeze - September 10th, 2020
- The Great Bed Making Debate: Are you a make-every-day or do you love the nest? - ABC News - September 10th, 2020
- NTCA Names 2020 Tile Setter Craftsperson of the Year Awardwinners - Floor Focus - September 10th, 2020
- Self regulation code adopted by Disney+ Hotstar, Amazon Prime Video and other OTT platforms could either be a - Business Insider India - September 9th, 2020
- Why Americans Really Go to the Gym - The Atlantic - September 9th, 2020
- The Case For Meditation: Why Everyone Should Try It - StyleBlueprint - September 9th, 2020
- SJM says first Grand Lisboa Palace recruitment drive attracted 2000 job-seekers - Inside Asian Gaming - September 9th, 2020
- What Happened to Woojin? Shocking Updates on the Ex-Stray Kids Singer - Distractify - September 9th, 2020
- Parks and Recreation Offering Fall Tennis, Tae Kwon Do and Dance for East Hartford Youth - easthartfordct.gov - September 9th, 2020
- Global AI in Education Market (2020 to 2025) - Featuring IBM, Amazon and Microsoft Among Others - Yahoo Finance UK - September 9th, 2020
- Joy Zinoman, ever the innovator, takes acting to a higher level via Zoom curriculum - DC Theatre Scene - September 9th, 2020
- Donald Trump Wants You To Believe His BS Narrative about BLM and Protests! Wake Up America to What is Really the Truth... - Ringside Report - September 9th, 2020
- In Fallout of Black Appropriation in US, Echoes of Debate on Dalit Representation in India - The Wire - September 9th, 2020
- How to find your unfair advantage and succeed as an entrepreneur - YourStory - September 9th, 2020
- 'Law and order impeded governance, development' The Shillong Times - The Shillong Times - September 9th, 2020
- What's on TV: Friday, September 11 to Thursday, September 17 - Brisbane Times - September 9th, 2020
- New book discusses about leadership and everything that it embodies - GlobeNewswire - September 9th, 2020
- What's the Use of a University? - Brooklyn Rail - September 9th, 2020
- Started Drinking a Little Too Much During Quarantine? This Upper West Sider Teaches You How to Moderate - westsiderag.com - September 9th, 2020
- Outsourcing the Accounting Aspects of Your Self-Storage Operation - Inside Self-Storage - September 9th, 2020
- Podcast Week: New Sarah Grynberg series and book, SpokenLayer arrives - Mediaweek - September 9th, 2020
- A global history of the Freemasons - The Economist - August 28th, 2020
- Gemini: Ignore those looking to stir the pot or bring you down - The Bethel Citizen - August 28th, 2020
- 'Good to Know' Review: JoJo forms dream team with Demi Lovato, Tinashe in sultry album that cut out Tory Lanez - MEAWW - August 28th, 2020
- Finding a Good Mentor: What You Need to Know - Uloop News - August 28th, 2020
- Who Is Sarah Edmondson And What Role Did She Play In NXIVM (And It's Downfall)? - Oxygen - August 28th, 2020
- Everything new coming to FOXTEL ON-DEMAND this September - TV Blackbox - August 28th, 2020
- Judge Sentences Arcata Man to 11 Years to Life for Attempted Murder, More Than a Year After a Jury Convicted Him of the Crime - Lost Coast Outpost - August 28th, 2020
- An interview with Ervin Cohen & Jessup discussing dispute resolution in the United States - Lexology - August 28th, 2020