here now, byron pitts. >> i absolutely loved central park. >> central park is like center of the universe kind of. >> but by the 1980s, this place that was meant to be a central recreation hub for the entire city really becomes more of a barrier. >> night would fall, and it would change. it would become a place where you'd be nervous about going. >> where in 1989 you must remember that the city real difficult ivisive, polariz position. >> this is part where the central park narrative occurred. >> reporter: it became a lightning rod at the inch section of race, class and politics in america. >> that wednesday night, it was easter vacation. kids would hang out a little later. there was no school until monday. i seen a group of kids entering the park. at the time i followed. we go from hanging out with friends, thinking that you're going to go skateboarding in the park or walk around late to mayhem. >> we just got a call of a disorderly group of 30 to 40 males inside central park, harassing people. >> we started to get a lot of radio runs of a group of black and hispanic teenagers, assaultin