Kevin Richardson — of the exonerated five — just received his degree from Syracuse University!
According to Because of Them We Can, Richardson just made history as the recipient of the first honorary undergraduate degree in the school’s history!
Richardson was one of the five New York teens wrongfully convicted of sexual assault in 1989. Before his arrest, Richardson was an aspiring trumpet player with dreams of attending Syracuse University to hone in on his skills. Unfortunately, his dreams were deferred due to the wrongful conviction.
Now, the university wants to honor both Richardson and his delayed dream and initially offered him an honorary doctorate. However, he requested a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree instead.
He and the other four men who were wrongfully convicted had a chance to share their story with the world through Ava DuVernay’s 2019 Netflix miniseries, “When They See Us” — which won an Emmy.
