June 30th 2023.
Yusef Salaam has won the New York City Council primary in the 9th District and is set to represent East Harlem, the place where he grew up. On Tuesday night, June 27, the results from the city’s Board of Elections showed Salaam received 50.1% of the votes, beating out Assemblywoman Inez Dickens and Assemblyman Al Taylor.
Salaam and the four other teenagers, who were wrongfully convicted of raping a woman in Central Park, were later exonerated and released after serving seven years in prison. Since then, he has been a motivational speaker, touring the world to speak out against criminal and social injustice. Salaam’s run for City Council is the first time he has run for public office.
At the Harlem Tavern, Salaam celebrated his Tuesday night win. “What has happened on this campaign has restored my faith in knowing that I was born for this,” he said. He recognized his lack of political experience but made a promise to be a candidate for change.
“This campaign has been about those who have been counted out,” Salaam said. “This campaign has been about those who have been forgotten. This campaign has been about our Harlem community that has been pushed into the margins of life.”
After votes are finalized, Salaam will have prevailed in the primary and ultimately the general election. He is now gearing up to claim the seat held by Kristin Richardson Jordan, who withdrew from the race. Yusef Salaam is set to make history, becoming the first of the Exonerated Five to hold a public office.
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