Jharrel Jerome's Emmy 2019 Win Was Incredibly Emotional

Jharrel Jerome won his first Emmy award on Sunday night for Lead Actor in a Limited Series for his earth-shattering performance in When They See Us. In the Ava DuVernay-directed Netflix docu-series, the actor plays Korey Wise, one of the exonerated Central Park Five young men wrongfully convicted of raping a woman in 1989. With Jharrel's win, he becomes the first Afro-Latinx actor to win in the category.

DuVernay traces the tragic story of Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana Jr., and Korey Wise in the late 80s. Throughout the initial trial in the fall of 1990 Yusef, Antron, and Raymond were all acquitted of attempted murder, but convicted of rape, assault, robbery, and riot. In a second trial later that year, Kevin was convicted of attempted murder, rape, assault, and robbery — while Korey was convicted of sexual abuse, assault, and riot.

The five young men served from five to 12 years in prison. The series's stirring final episode follows Korey, the only one tried as an adult, as he spends 12 years in jail, much of it on Rikers Island.

Jharrell's win was the first of the night for the highly-lauded film that garnered ten nominations in total. "I wish I was in the Bronx," Jharrel began his speech, hailing his hometown. "This is for the men that we know as the exonerated five. This is for Raymond, Yusef, Antron, Kevin, and King Korey Wise. Thank you so much. It's an honor and a blessing."

As the crowd stood in a standing ovation, Korey could be seen looking directly at the stage at Jharrel with tears running down his eyes.

Originally Appeared on Teen Vogue