March 02, 2023 MANHATTAN, New York – Yusef Salaam, known as one of the “Exonerated Five” is running for City Council in the 9th district composing areas of Harlem and upper Manhattan. Salaam, is representing Harlem where he grew up.
Members of Salaam’s campaign team discuss strategy at the campaign headquarters at 190 West 135th Street in Harlem before hitting the streets to gather signatures to be placed on the ballot. Salaam, an author and motivational speaker is frequently recognized by Harlem residents as shown in the video.
In 1989, teenage Yusef was wrongly convicted of raping a woman in Central Park. The 1989 crime captivated NYC amid fears of rising crime after a woman was nearly beaten to death and raped in Central Park.
Salaam and his friends were subsequently exonerated in 2002 when a homeless man was then convicted of the heinous crime after a DNA match.
Salaam is up against incumbent Kristin Richardson Jordan and five other candidates in the race for Council District 9. This includes Assembly members Inez Dickens and Al Taylor.
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