Kevin Richardson of the Central Park Five will visit his dream school, Syracuse University, in September, more than 30 years after his wrongful arrest.

Jalen Nash, a senior political science major, started an online petition in June that urges SU to award Richardson an honorary degree. For Nash, the September visit is an important gesture — but one that’s incomplete without the degree.

“I’m happy that they did something,” Nash said. “It’s not enough because that’s not what we asked for.”

Richardson was one of five teenagers arrested in 1989 for the assault and rape of a jogger in Central Park. The five teenagers — four black and one Latino — were exonerated in 2002 after a convicted serial rapist and murderer confessed to the crime. They were dubbed the Central Park Five.

Requests for honorary degrees must go through SU’s chancellor, University Senate and Board of Trustees. The timeline varies from a few months to more than an academic year to process, said Christian Day, a professor and chair of USen’s Honorary Degrees committee.

Anyone from the SU community can act as a reference and nominate a candidate by submitting a one-page reference letter and a nomination packet, which is then reviewed by USen’s Honorary Degrees committee. The committee, which is comprised of students, staff and faculty, meets about four times a year to discuss the nominations. 

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The entire Senate body then discusses recommendations from the committee. Candidates are then required to visit campus before a final approval from both Chancellor Kent Syverud and the Board of Trustees.

There have been instances when USen has backed a candidate for an honorary degree, but the university’s chancellor or Board of Trustees didn’t vote in favor of it, Day said.

The nomination process is confidential, he said. Day could not comment on whether his committee is considering Richardson or if the committee is in contact with Nash.

In Day’s six years on the committee, students have not attended any honorary degree meetings, he said. Nash told The Daily Orange he would soon go through with the nomination process.

Nash’s petition gained more than 5,800 online signatures. Since then, Nash said he’s had back-and-forth dialogue with SU administrators. He also discussed the possibility of an honorary degree for Richardson over the phone with Keith Alford, chief diversity officer, and Rachel Vassel, assistant vice president of the Office of Multicultural Advancement. The office supports and advocates for black and Latino students and alumni.

The Netflix series “When They See Us,” released in May, chronicled the flawed police investigation and prosecution that led to the boys’ arrests. Richardson told Oprah Winfrey in an interview released on Netflix that, as a kid, he dreamed of playing the trumpet in SU’s marching band.

Since the documentary and interview premiered, the Central Park Five have resurfaced in the national spotlight — and Nash wasn’t the only one pressing SU to acknowledge Richardson.

Jill Evans, the mother of an SU student, watched the documentary and interview. She thought of her two children, who also dreamed of attending SU before they enrolled. Evans then wrote an email to Martha Sutter, a teaching professor in the Setnor School of Music. She asked for Richardson to play the trumpet in SU’s marching band.

“As a parent, it broke my heart,” she said, in an email. “I made a promise to myself, my daughter and her college friends that I would do anything in my power to help fulfill this man’s dream.”

Evans was able to get in contact with Richardson and eventually scheduled a call between Richardson and Nash. She shared the online petition in alumni networks, though Evans is not an alumna herself.

SU is set to hold a benefit reception for Richardson on Sept. 8 supporting a scholarship program for black and Latino students at SU. The following day, Richardson will also take part in a public discussion about his exoneration titled “Justice in America: A Discussion on the Exoneration of the Central Park 5” at Schine Student Center.

Sarah Scalese, the associate vice presidential for university communications, said in a statement to the D.O. that SU is excited to host Richardson.

“We are thankful for students like Jalen who work tirelessly to advocate for and advance issues that are important to them, to our community and to society,” she said.

Published on August 28, 2019 at 10:51 pm

Contact Gabe: gkstern@syr.edu | @gabestern326