Yusef Salaam, a member of the Exonerated Five, speaks about how he found purpose in his experience contending with the unfair forces of the American justice system.
Yusef Salaam is one of the Central Park Five, a group of young Black and Latino men who were wrongfully convicted of raping a white woman in New York City’s Central Park in 1989. Salaam was 15 years old at the time of the incident and was the only member of the group who did not give a false confession. Despite a lack of physical evidence linking any of the five to the crime, they were convicted based on coerced confessions and were sentenced to prison terms ranging from 5 to 15 years.
After serving nearly 7 years in prison, Salaam was exonerated in 2002 when DNA evidence conclusively proved that another man had committed the rape. In addition to his wrongful conviction, Salaam’s story highlights the ongoing problem of racial injustice in the American criminal justice system, as well as the psychological and emotional toll that wrongful incarceration can have on individuals and their families.
Since his release from prison, Salaam has become a prominent activist and advocate for criminal justice reform. He has spoken out about his experience and has worked to raise awareness about issues such as police brutality, wrongful convictions, and the need for more compassionate and equitable treatment of prisoners. He has also co-authored a book with his mother, Sharonne Salaam, titled “Words of a Man: My Right to Be,” which chronicles his journey from wrongful conviction to exoneration and beyond.
Yusef Salaam, one of the Central Park Five, did not have the opportunity to pursue higher education while he was wrongfully incarcerated. He was only 15 years old when he was arrested and 22 years old when he was exonerated.
After his release, Salaam became a public speaker and advocate for criminal justice reform, sharing his story and insights about the need for systemic change. He has spoken at numerous events, including at colleges and universities, and has also appeared in documentaries and television programs.
Salaam has also been recognized for his contributions to advocacy and social justice. In 2016, he received an honorary Doctor of Humanities degree from Anointed by God Ministries Alliance & Seminary in Atlanta, Georgia. In 2019, he was awarded the President’s Medal for Social Justice from John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City.
In addition to his advocacy work, Salaam has also collaborated with artists and authors to create works that highlight issues related to criminal justice reform. For example, he worked with visual artist Titus Kaphar to create a series of portraits titled “When They See Us” that honor the Central Park Five and their families. He also co-authored a book with Ibi Zoboi titled “Punching the Air,” a novel-in-verse about a young Black artist who is wrongfully incarcerated.
Overall, Salaam’s experiences as a member of the Central Park Five and his subsequent advocacy work have helped raise awareness about issues related to wrongful convictions, racism in the criminal justice system, and the need for reforms to ensure greater equity and justice for all.
2 Rising Above Injustice with Dr. Yusef Salaam | Confident Muslim
In première gegaan op 12 mei 2022
4 Yusef Salaam Of Exonerated Central Park Five Shares His Story
5 The Muslim that Trended on Netflix | Yusef Salaam (Full Podcast)
Back to menu IMPORTANT CONTENT
24 sep. 2021
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction to the Central Park Five
01:12 How is Yusef Salaam currently
02:00 Inspiration from Prophet Yusuf
6:00 Life before prison
09:00 Knowing God through Oppression
11:36 Reacting to Netflix Scene of his Mother
17:45 The impact of the media on his case
21:37 Relief after exoneration
25:36 Healing through trauma
28:12 What can Muslims do to stop injustice
29:50 Close
7 Sister Circle | Yusef Salaam of The Central Park Five Talks Journey From Trauma To Triumph | TVONE
12 aug. 2019
8 Yusef Salaam – “I was closest to God in prison.” – A DoubleTake Special
Back to menu Exceptional Beautiful
In première gegaan op 9 mrt. 2022
9 Yusef Salaam: Better, Not Bitter: Living on Purpose in the Pursuit of Racial Justice
22 mei 2021
10 Diversity Conversation Yusef Salaam and Jermaine Reese
Back to menu IMPORTANT CONTENT
11 Duke Law | When They See Us: A Conversation with Two of the Exonerated Five
Back to menu IMPORTANT CONTENT
Live gestreamd op 3 sep. 2019
13 A Phoenix from the Ashes: Dr. Yusef Salaam | MPAC Convention
Back to menu IMPORTANT CONTENT
26 nov. 2019
The annual MPAC Convention is a convening of ideas, leaders, and activists at the forefront of social change. Learn more at mpac.org/convention.
15 Ibi Zoboi | Dr. Yusef Salaam | Punching the Air | Equity Talks
Back to menu IMPORTANT CONTENT
In première gegaan op 17 sep. 2020
Dr. Yusef Salaam was just 15-year-old when he and four other Harlem teens were wrongly convinced of the rape and murder of a young white woman in New York City’s Central Park in 1989. Known as the Central Park Five, the young men spent years behind bars before a court finally overturned their sentences in 2002. A convicted murderer and rapist serving a life sentence confessed to the crime, and his DNA matched a sample found at the scene.
Dr. Salaam is now known as one of the Exonerated Five. In 2014, the men received a $41 million settlement from New York City. Since his release more than 20 years ago, Dr. Salaam has become a family man, a father, a poet, an activist, and an inspirational speaker, advocating for criminal justice reform.
Born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and raised in New York City, Ibi Zoboi is the New York Times bestselling author of the novels My Life as an Ice Cream Sandwich, Pride, and American Street, which was a National Book Award finalist and a New York Times notable book. She is also the editor of Black Enough: Stories of Being Young & Black in America.
In 2020, Zoboi and Dr. Salaam collaborated on Punching the Air, a novel about a 16-year-old artist who is arrested and wrongfully convicted of a crime.
In this episode of Equity Talks, Malika Saada Saar, Google’s Senior Counsel on Civil and Human Rights, sits down with Zoboi and Dr. Salaam to discuss the criminal justice system and the power of storytelling.
The Equity Talks series is a global forum offering an in-depth study of justice through forthright discussion. By amplifying some of the most important voices of our time, our goal is to encourage introspection, conversation, and personal growth.
16 The Story Behind Punching the Air | with Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam
17 This Struggle is Not About Race || Dr. Yusef Salaam || Exonerated 5
Back to menu IMPORTANT CONTENT
18 Dreams Academy presents Dr. Yusef Salaam of the Exonerated Five Highlights and Interviews
20 dec. 2019
19 S3 Ep. 79: Dr. Yusef Salaam Of The Exonerated Five And Award-Winning Netflix Series ‘When They…
3 dec. 2019
20 Dr. Yusef Salaam Speaking at a Press Conference to Support a Bill to Prevent Wrongful Convictions
21 Yusef Salaam | The Marshall Project | The New Yorker
Back to menu IMPORTANT CONTENT
Yusef Salaam, who was wrongly convicted and imprisoned as one of the “Central Park Five,” details how his life was turned upside down one day in 1989 — and how he felt when the charges were dropped decades later.
Director: Jenny Carchman
“We Are Witnesses”: A Portrait of Crime and Punishment in America
22 nov. 2019
22 Yusef Salaam of Central Park Five visits GVSU for MLK Day
23 Dr. Yusef Salaam of the Exonerated Central Park Five in Conv w/ Dr. Eddie Glaude, Princeton Univ.
24 Yusef Salaam and The Central Park Jogger Deception Trial
25 DR. WALLS TALKS TO YUSEF SALAAM FROM THE CENTRAL PARK 5: PART 1
27 Confident Muslim | Omar Suleiman & Yusef Salaam – MASCON2021
30 mrt. 2022
29 Sharronne Salaam (Mother of Dr. Yusef Salaam of the Exonerated Five)
