These When They See Us quotes remind us of how far we’ve come and how far we have to go.

When They See Us is a hunting limited series on Netflix based on real-life events. The story is about the Central Park Five and the systemized abuse of power they went through at a young age.

The boys were unlawfully convicted of rape and abuse of a lone jogger in Central Park, New York. The show puts heavy emphasis on the widespread abuse and discrimination of minorities at that time.

The corrupt justice system and flawed distribution of power were chilling to watch and serves as a reminder that there’s a lot of things that need to be done to achieve real equality and justice even in modern times.

The When They See Us quotes below will provoke your thoughts and feelings to want real justice and accountability.

Don’t forget to also check out these American Vandal quotes from the clever mockumentary.

When They See Us quotes by Delores Wise

1. “Somebody loves you, baby. You getting out!” — Delores Wise

11. “You don’t know nothing about being me.” — Delores Wise

23. “God knows he could use a boost right about now.” — Delores Wise

42. “Boy, I ain’t got nothing to give you.” — Delores Wise

3. “Drugs was easier. Ignoring you two boys in real life that was easier. But being scared for you that gave me something to ask God for and mean it.” — Delores Wise

When They See Us quotes by korey Wise

4. “Sometimes all you can do is try your best.” — Korey Wise

5. “If they don’t wanna hear my truth, I don’t wanna waste my energy.” — Korey Wise

6. “The plan is you and me, little lady. Whatever you wanna do.” — Korey Wise

7. “My bad luck been used up.” — Korey Wise

8. “Please come back as much as you can.” — Korey Wise

9. “I like when you call me kid.” — Korey Wise

12. “Put me in solitary.” — Korey Wise

30. “They said if I was there and if I went along with it, that I could go home. And that’s all I wanted. That’s all I wanted, was to go home. That’s all I still want.” — Korey Wise

43. “What I am supposed to do? Just let them do whatever they to do?” — Korey Wise

When They See Us quotes by Raymond Santana

13. “They ain’t gonna get me again.” — Raymond Santana

14. “What those people stole from you, you can’t buy back.” — Raymond Santana Sr.

15. “When they say ‘boys’ they not talking about us. They talking about other boys from other places. When did we ever get to be boys?” — Raymond Santana

17. “I’m not letting you go like that. I made that mistake already.” — Raymond Santana

45. “I’m trying to treat it right, ya know?” — Young Raymond Santana

46. “I want to sleep in my own bed so bad.” — Young Raymond Santana

When They See Us quotes by Angie Richardson

19. “Happiness is something to look forward to.” — Angie Richardson

20. “He’s got something to look forward to. You have to find one too. That the trick of a happy life.” — Angie Richardson

22. “I know you seen things, maybe had to do things, defend yourself, survive, whatever might have happened. But in the end, you have the same heart.” — Angie Richardson

When They See Us quotes by Antron McCray

18. “I guess I just like making dirty things shine, that’s all.” — Antron McCray

25. “If I had my way, you wouldn’t have took him back.” — Antron McCray

32. “If we don’t believe man, we already lost.” — Young Antron McCray

When They See Us quotes by Linda McCray

24. “Don’t ever think you’re alone. I’m walking through this with you. You cry, I cry. You mad, I’m mad. You scared, I’m scared. You free, I’m free. You and me, always.” — Linda McCray

26. “I love you enough to make up for everybody.” — Linda McCray

27. “You keep listening to those footsteps, baby. That’s me coming to bring you home.”— Linda McCray

28. “I’d come everyday if they let me.” — Linda McCray

When They See Us quotes by Kevin Richardson

16. “I don’t commit to the crime. ‘Cause I like to stick to the truth.” — Kevin Richardson

37. “I lied on you, man.” — Kevin Richardson

50. “You know what he told me, though? The only reason that you got caught up in all of this is ’cause you went down the station with him. To help him out, man. To be there for him.” — Young Kevin Richardson

When They See Us quotes by Bobby McCray

38. “When the police want what they want, they will do anything.” — Bobby McCray

39. “I’m trying to tell you what you need to do to get your ass up out of here.” — Bobby McCray

31. “I was trying to protect him. Help him. Trying to save him.” — Bobby McCray

When They See Us quotes by Linda Fairstein

34. “The eyes see, but it cannot see itself.” — Linda Fairstein

41. “This is an epidemic. We are not in control.” — Linda Fairstein

When They See Us quotes by Sharon Salaam

29. “You watch them grow. You start to think you did a good job. And then one night you look away.” — Sharon Salaam

49. “They talked themselves into they mess.” — Sharon Salaam

36. “That devil wants to kill my son. You going to take an ad out about killing my son.” — Sharon Salaam

When They See Us quotes by Elizabeth Lederer

35. “I’m the one who has to sell this to a jury and the whole city is watching, hell, the country.”— Elizabeth Lederer

48. “So, you see a couple of bad suits and cheap haircuts and you figure ‘game over?’ Let me tell you what I see. Opportunity. This is an opportunity for every one of those guys to make a name for themselves, to be the victor in something high-profile for once, attention for once, respect for once. So, don’t underestimate how that drives a person. ” — Elizabeth Lederer

When They See Us quotes by Mickey Joseph

33. “It’s about politics. And politics is about survival.” — Mickey Joseph

47. “The police decided to solve this case no matter what it meant to the rights of a scared 14-year-old child.” — Mickey Joseph

When They See Us quotes by other characters

10. “I’m done with everything here. Except for you.” — Marci Wise

2. “Nobody else should be paying for mine.” — Matias Reyes

21. “All the guilt. It’s lazy energy. It doesn’t change the past and it doesn’t shape the future. ” — Grace Cuffee

40. “You give something, you get something.” — Detective Hartigan

44. Yusef Salaam: “People hate us out there.”

Sharon Salaam: “They hate your brilliance. They hate your beauty. They hate us. But we not gonna hate ourselves.”

Which of these When They See Us quotes is your favorite?

A lot of people in the series really think the boys were guilty of the crimes they didn’t commit.

It shows how the media and the limited interaction with selected environments or groups can greatly alter one’s cognitive reasoning and compassion.

These people are educated, wealthy and with a high status of power, and yet they choose to act in a stupid and cruel way.

This film uncovers the trouble with the system we are all living in. No matter where we are in the world we can still be a subject of human cruelty and thirst for power.

Hopefully, these When They See Us quotes and sayings compel you to take action and do the right thing in the situations you’re presented with.

The post When They See Us Quotes Telling the Story of the Central Park Five appeared first on Everyday Power.