Dr. Yusef Salaam, one of the “Central Park Five,” has won a seat on the New York City Council.
The once wrongfully convicted inmate will represent a central Harlem district during his tenure. During his election campaign, Salaam focused heavily on assisting residents in poverty and fighting against gentrification in the region, which threatens to leave many people displaced. He used his past incarceration as a driving force to better others in similar situations.
Salaam, along with Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Raymond Santana, and Korey Wise, were just teens when they were arrested and convicted of raping a white jogger in Central Park in the late 1980s. Despite a lack of evidence, each of them served years behind bars. Salaam, who was just 15, served seven years before he was released.
“I am really the ambassador for everyone’s pain. In many ways, I went through that for our people, so I can now lead them,” Salaam said in a post-win interview.
Salaam will service a community that extends from northern Harlem to a portion of Central Park. A tribute marker sits there known as the Gate of the Exonerated, which honors the falsely imprisoned teens. Santana has campaigned for Salaam over the past months and celebrated his friend’s win.
“We are the examples when a system tries to destroy you…We are also the examples when God favors you..,” Santana wrote.
Congratulations, Dr. Yusef Salaam!
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