Exonerated Central Park Five’s Kevin Richardson to speak at Hampden-Sydney College
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PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- Kevin Richardson, civil rights advocate and member of the Exonerated Central Park Five, will host a talk at Hampden-Sydney College in Prince Edward County on Thursday.
In 1990, Richardson was wrongly convicted of the attempted murder and rape of a woman in New York. He and a group of four other teenagers confessed to being involved in the attacks after a lengthy police interrogation, according to the Innocence Project.
Afterward, all teenagers were convicted in two separate trials stemming from the attack, according to the Innocence Project.
Evidence from the crime eventually matched a different person to the crime, who admitted in 2002 that he was the only person responsible, and the convictions were overturned for the five teens, and the group was exonerated.
Before his exoneration, Richardson served five and a half years in prison.
In the aftermath, Richardson began sharing his journey, spreading a message of resilience. He has become a criminal justice advocate and CEO of The Kevin Richardson Foundation, which seeks to empower others.
Richardson's visit to Hampden-Sydney College will consist of two events on Feb. 26:
- 3:30 to 4:15 p.m.: Courage, Perseverance and Resilience Workshop located at Brown Student Center, room 208
- Richardson will lead an interactive afternoon session designed to give attendees strategies for conflict de-escalation and personal empowerment.
- 7 to 9 p.m.: "Up Close and Personal: A Fireside Chat with Kevin Richardson," at the Schoellkopf Family and Friends Lounge
- Richardson will reflect on his wrongful conviction, his decades-long fight for exoneration and the state of the American justice system during the evening keynote address.
The events are sponsored by the Hampden-Sydney College chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in honor of Black History Month.
