Yusef Salaam Of 'Exonerated 5' Joins Harlem City Council Race

HARLEM, NY — Yusef Salaam, one of the five Harlem men wrongly imprisoned in the infamous 1989 Central Park jogger case, announced Thursday that he plans to run for City Council next year, the latest entrant in what is shaping up to be a crowded race for the Central Harlem seat.

"Everyone knows my story — from the headlines to the hardcovers to the silver screen, but what far too many of those in power fail to realize is that my story, our story, continues to play out in communities all over this country," Salaam said in a tweet, days after opening a campaign account.

"I faced an extreme example, but there are countless young men in Harlem who have never been given an uplifting hand," he added.

Three others have already joined next year's Democratic primary in District 9: incumbent member Kristin Richardson Jordan, Assembly Member Al Taylor, and former candidate Joshua Clennon.

Salaam was convicted at age 15 and spent seven years in prison before being released in 1997. In 2002, his conviction was overturned along with other members of the "Exonerated Five," after another man confessed to having assaulted and raped a woman in the park the night of April 19.

Since his release, Salaam has worked as a motivational speaker and criminal justice reform advocate.

He reportedly lives in Georgia, however — which prompted Salaam to decide against running for Harlem's open State Senate seat last year when it was vacated by Brian Benjamin. City Council could be a more appealing option since its residency rules are less strict, City & State reported.

Salaam did not spell out his reasons for challenging the incumbent Richardson Jordan, and a spokesperson told Patch on Thursday that he was not available for an interview.

Reached for comment, Richardson Jordan said in a statement: "I think we have enough millionaires in office already. That is part of the problem." (Salaam's net worth was not immediately clear, though he and his fellow defendants received a $41 million settlement from the city in 2014.)

In his Twitter announcement, Salaam said he has "focused on being better for my experiences, not bitter."

"Stretching out my hand in partnership, to offer hope not despair," he said. "And now more than ever, I believe Harlem requires that type of leadership — leadership that is of and for the people."

Like most of his fellow defendants, Salaam lived in the Schomburg Plaza apartment complex at the north end of Central Park at the time of his 1989 arrest. He is now married with 10 children.

Richardson Jordan, a socialist, narrowly defeated incumbent Bill Perkins in last year's Democratic primary. She has defended her work in office, notably helping defeat the One45 rezoning, signing onto dozens of bills and organizing a packed slate of community events.

But some in the neighborhood, especially from the Democratic Party's more mainstream faction, have expressed dissatisfaction with her time in the Council, focusing largely on her stated vision of one day abolishing the city's police department.

Normally held every four years, Council elections are happening in 2023 just two years after the previous round, due to a city charter rule that mandates shorter terms after Council districts are redrawn.

The District 9 seat was kept largely intact during the recent round of redistricting, stretching from the north end of Central Park up to the NYCHA Polo Grounds and Rangel Houses around 162nd Street.

Related coverage:

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• Inez Dickens Mulls Challenge To Harlem Councilmember Richardson Jordan
• Harlem's New Rep Tells Eric Adams: Don't Ignore The Socialists
• Perkins Concedes Harlem Council Race To Jordan, Cementing Upset