Ava DuVernay Launches Education Initiative and ‘When They See Us’ Learning Companion

by The Hollywood Reporter

May 28, 2020

A year after the release of her Emmy-winning Netflix series ‘When They See Us,’ filmmaker Ava DuVernay is continuing to share the story of the Exonerated Five while also furthering the conversation around social justice.

A year after the release of her Emmy-winning Netflix series When They See Us, filmmaker Ava DuVernay is continuing to share the story of the Exonerated Five while also furthering the conversation around social justice.

In a new online education initiative called ARRAY 101, launched by DuVernay’s multiplatform media company and arts collective ARRAY, learning guides will be created for the company’s films and television series.

The first to receive a guide is DuVernay’s Netflix miniseries recounting five teenagers — Kevin Richardson, Antron Mccray, Raymond Santana Jr., Korey Wise, and Yusef Salaam — who were wrongfully convicted of a Central Park rape in 1989.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Participant to launch our first ARRAY 101 learning companion, which expands on themes and topics in When They See Us. I firmly believe that there must be a stronger bridge between what our industry produces and real teachers in classrooms,” said DuVernay in a statement. “The one-year broadcast anniversary of the series was the ideal time to release this social impact learning supplement and kick-off ARRAY’s upcoming study guide initiative overall.”