Hofstra University is commemorating the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first enslaved Africans to North America with a series of programs. These events, titled “The Legacy: 1619-2019,” began on Tuesday, Sept. 17, and will end on Thursday, Dec. 5.
On Sunday, Oct. 22, in the Guthart Cultural Center Theater of the Axinn Library, Hofstra held an event titled, “Living on Long Island While Black: The Suburban Search for Justice,” hosted by Martine Hackett, professor of health profession, and Nicole Franklin, professor of radio, television and film.
The event featured the screening of Yance Ford’s Oscar-nominated documentary, “Strong Island,” followed by a discussion panel featuring Keith Bush, a man accused of the murder and attempted sexual abuse of Sherese Watson in 1975.
“I think for college students in particular, it is important for them to understand people’s stories because that allows them to see these larger issues, that feel so far away, and makes them real,” Hackett said, referring to the event.
An article from Newsday titled “DA’s report: Keith Bush was wrongfully convicted of 1975 murder,” stated that, “[Keith] Bush was wrongfully convicted during a 1976 trial because of several dubious pieces of evidence, including faulty forensic evidence, witnesses who felt intimidated by police and a false signed confession that [Keith] Bush says he had beaten out of him by homicide detectives.”
The “Strong Island” documentary and the panel discussion touched on the pressing topic of racism in the United States. The documentary tells the story of William Ford Jr., a black man living in Central Islip, New York, who was murdered by Mark P. Reilly, a white, 19-year-old car mechanic.
At the panel discussion, Bush spoke about educating the public on institutionalized racism within the prison system. “They just think from what they see on the news that somebody is arrested for something, they did it and that’s it,” Bush said. “Education is very important, and you have to bring that awareness to the forefront.”
Bush also spoke about holding the officers who falsely incarcerated and abused him accountable for their actions. “When these two detectives, the key detectives, in my case – who are still alive – do what they did, and yet the issue of accountability don’t become a discussion,” Bush said. “But if they found some DNA from somebody 25 years ago, that person would be facing life imprisonment for a murder crime.”
Those who attended the event included students, professors and relatives of Bush. The attendees engaged in a question and answer discussion after the panel. Many participants expressed their gratitude toward Bush and were moved by his words.
“I think it’s very interesting how he raised two very good points. One of them is determination and how that contributed to the transformation of his character,” said Emily Rivera, a junior public relations major. “He also [brought] up the sense of community, which is tied into that.”
Throughout his journey to justice, Bush has had the constant support of his family, who has stood by his side during this battle since the beginning. “We continue to support my brother-in-law; we have always believed in his innocence. And God is good. He has brought him home to us,” said Rhonda Bush, sister-in-law of Keith Bush.
“We will continue to support him and continue to see to it that we spend these wonderful times together as a family.”