Exonerated 'Central Park Five' Member Yusef Salaam Elected to New York City Council

Salaam's electoral victory, after a wrongful conviction overturned two decades ago, underscores his commitment to tackling poverty and gentrification in Harlem as he steps into a heavily Democratic council.

Exonerated 'Central Park Five' member Yusef Salaam has won a seat on the New York City Council, marking a significant comeback since his wrongful imprisonment over two decades ago.
The victory comes after Salaam's convictions, along with four other Black and Latino men, were overturned based on DNA evidence in the 1989 Central Park Jogger case.
Salaam, a Democrat, will represent a central Harlem district on the City Council, having run unopposed for the seat and winning his primary election by a landslide.
The newly elected council member campaigned on easing poverty and combating gentrification in Harlem, using his wrongful imprisonment and subsequent fight for justice to inspire and mobilize his constituents.
Yusef Salaam's win is part of the broader context of local elections in New York, where Democrats maintain firm control within the city council, and the outcomes signal potential voting patterns in next year's congressional elections.

The Christian Science Monitor

PBS NewsHour

Washington Post

Associated Press