Yusef Salaam From The Exonerated Five Wins NYC’s Council Primary

Mya Abraham
·2 min read
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Yusef Salaam says he is his “ancestors’ wildest dream” after winning the city council primary in Harlem on Tuesday (June 27). Salaam was set to win the democratic vote by over 50 percent, according to Rolling Stone.

Spectrum News shared an emotional clip of Salaam addressing his supporters as the news of his victory broke.

“This campaign has been about those who have been counted out. This campaign has been about those who have been forgotten. This campaign has been about our hall of community who has been pushed into the margins of life and made to believe that they were supposed to be there. What has happened in this campaign has restored my faith in knowing that I was born for this. Every single thing that happens to you, happens for you,” expressed the 49-year-old.

When speaking on his campaign to the Associated Press, he revealed that it focused heavily on “bettering the lives of those in the community that raised him, including through housing justice, economic advancement, and police and law enforcement reform.”

Adding, “​​I’ve often said that those who have been close to the pain should have a seat at the table.”

The Harlem native was one of the five teenagers wrongfully convicted of the rape and assault of a jogger in Central Park in April 1989. His conviction was overturned in 2002. Following this, Salaam along with Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Raymond Santana, and Korey Wise became known as the “Exonerated Five.” The men later filed a civil suit against New York City and won with an attached $41 million settlement.

Salaam is very likely to win the general election this November.

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