Member of The Exonerated Five to speak in Yakima and Ellensburg

Central Washington University, the Rotary Club of Yakima, and the Opportunities Industrialization Center (OIC) of Yakima are teaming up to host a member of The Exonerated Five in Central Washington this winter.

Raymond Santana, one of five African-American teenagers wrongfully convicted of a violent attack in New York’s Central Park in 1989, will be the guest of honor at a series of events in Yakima on January 31, followed by a speaking engagement on CWU’s Ellensburg campus February 1.

Santana and four other teens were tried and convicted of the rape and assault of a young woman, and they served between five and 13 years in prison for what became known as “The Central Park jogger case.” In 2002, their convictions were overturned when DNA evidence linked a convicted murderer and serial rapist to the crime, for which he also confessed.

Formerly referred to as “The Central Park Five,” Santana and the others now travel the country advocating for change and educating people about the disparities in the American criminal justice system.

“The story of The Exonerated Five is one all our communities should hear and learn from,” said Erin Black, president of the Rotary Club of Yakima. “While the men were exonerated, parts of their lives were lost, and we owe it to them, their families, and many others to learn and understand the implications.

“I am thrilled that Rotary, CWU, and OIC of Washington are partnering to bring a powerful speaker like Raymond Santana to the Yakima and Ellensburg communities,” she added.

Santana will speak at Eisenhower and Davis high schools in Yakima on Wednesday, January 31, before delivering a community presentation to the Rotary Club of Yakima that evening.

On Thursday, February 1, he will attend a breakfast with young leaders of color, hosted by the Rotary Club of Yakima, followed by a visit to CWU for a town hall-style speaking engagement at 6:30 p.m. in the McIntyre Music Building. A question-and-answer session will follow.

CWU students are encouraged to attend the free event, which is also open to members of the Ellensburg and Yakima communities. Law and Justice Professor Teresa Divine will moderate the discussion.

Mal Stewman, director of CWU’s Diversity and Equity Center (DEC), said he hopes to accompany a group of CWU students to Yakima, and he is also hoping to see a strong turnout for Santana’s appearance in Ellensburg.

“We want to expose our students to important national conversations like this, and we would like to build a strong Central presence at these events,” he said.

Santana’s February 1 speaking engagement is co-sponsored by the DEC, the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and the Africana and Black Studies and Law and Justice departments.

Stewman pointed to previous appearances on campus by influential public figures, such as Danny Glover, Cornell West, Bobby Seale, Angela Davis and Chuck D. The pandemic slowed the momentum of bringing national speakers to Ellensburg, but CWU hopes that welcoming Santana to town will help reignite interest across the campus community.

“We’re excited to resume our tradition of hosting large-scale speaking engagements,” Stewman said. “These types of events create a sense of belonging on campus, and they tend to resonate with a wide range of people. It’s always interesting to learn about people who have experienced difficulties in their lives and what they have done to overcome those challenges.”