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Yusef Salaam, the writer and activist wrongfully convicted and imprisoned as a member of the “Central Park Five,” has won a seat on the New York City Council.
Yusef was 1 of 5 of a group of black and Latino teenagers wrongfully convicted of raping a white woman in Central Park in 1989. Salaam was 14 at the time of his arrest and conviction and served six years of a 15-year sentence.
After six years in prison, DNA evidence was discovered that pointed to another man, Matias Reyes, as the perpetrator of the rape. Reyes, who was already serving a life sentence for murder, confessed to the crime in 2002 and provided details that only the real perpetrator would know. They are now known as the 'Innocent Five'.
The Central Park Five convictions were vacated in 2002. They received a $41 million settlement from the City of New York. After his release, Salaam pursued a career as a speaker and activist. He has written a book about his experiences, “Better Not Bitter: A Memoir of the Exonerated Five.” He has also been active in prison reform and racial justice advocacy.
Salam ran unopposed after winning the Democratic primary in the city's 9th District in a landslide. The area stretches from the northernmost parts of Harlem to the top of Central Park.
The attack caught the attention of citizens, including Trump.
Then, a New York-based real estate mogul, Trump took out a newspaper ad calling on New York state to reinstate the death penalty.
In 2016, Salaam was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award by President Barack Obama. It is also the subject of Ava DuVernay's award-winning Netflix miniseries “When They See Us.”
