.jpg)
.jpg)
The old adage that the arc of justice is long but it bends toward justice is often doubted. In the case of Yusef Salaam, it proves to be an accurate description of his life and current reality. Salaam has overcome a rape conviction, lengthy imprisonment and job discrimination to emerge as an elected official. This journey has by no means been easy. However, as the title of his autobiography demonstrates, Better, Not Bitter, he has used his determination and faith to raise above his circumstances, assert his innocence and “live on purpose in the pursuit of racial justice.” His story is nothing short of miraculous and is truly an example of how an individual can successfully confront the most pernicious problems facing Black communities in our contemporary moment and emerge victorious.
Born to a single mother Sharonne Salaam in 1974, Salaam’s life would take a drastic turn during his teenage years. In 1989, Salaam, Korey Wise, Kevin Richardson, Anton McCray and Raymond Santana were falsely accused of raping Trisha Meili, a white woman jogging alone in Central Park. At only 15 at the time of the incident, Salaam became known as one of the Central Park Five. Five teenagers were arrested by the New York City Police. They were subjected to beatings and torture, denied food and water, and lacked access to counsel. Salaam and the other defendants confessed to assaulting the jogger. Although the teens eventually retracted their statements, it was too late. This crime occurred against the backdrop of a national debate about the so-called “wilding” behavior of Black teenagers. The situation was further exacerbated by the actions of Donald Trump, then a New York businessman and socialite, who took out newspaper ads calling for the death penalty for the five defendants.
The five boys were convicted in 1990. Salaam’s conviction was upheld twice on appeal-- once by the Appellate Division and again by the Court of Appeals of the State of New York in 1993. He was imprisoned until 1997. In 2002, a confession by Matias Reyes, a serial rapist, and DNA results indicated that the five teenagers had not committed the crime. The five teenagers were exonerated and brought a civil rights lawsuit against the City of New York. They sued the city citing malicious prosecution, racial discrimination, and emotional distress. The lawsuit was settled for 41 million in 2014.
After his release in 1997, Salaam secured employment as a construction worker in an apartment complex in Harlem. He was subsequently fired after the company discovered his identity. He also did a short stint at Weil Cornell Medicine. He also served on the board of the Innocence Project.
In 2007. Salaam met and married his wife, Sanovia. He became a father to her three children and three daughters from his first marriage. The Salaam’s decided to raise their children in Stockbridge, Georgia. Yusef spend his time traveling the country talking about racial justice. Here, he first considered the running for New York City Council. The idea took shape after a visit from Keith Wright, the New York Democratic leader in 2022.
Salaam not only ran but defeated two veteran candidates. He took the oath of office using the same Quran he cradled during his trial and throughout his incarceration. In a interesting twist of events, Salaam is set to chair the council committee overseeing the NYPD.