Share this @internewscast.com

Exonerated “Central Park Five” member Yusef Salaam won a seat Tuesday on the New York City Council, completing a stunning reversal of fortune decades after he was wrongly imprisoned in an infamous rape case.

Salaam, a Democrat, will represent a central Harlem district on the City Council, having run unopposed for the seat in one of many local elections held across New York state Tuesday. He won his primary election in a landslide.

The victory comes more than two decades after DNA evidence was used to overturn the convictions of Salaam and four other Black and Latino men in the 1989 rape and beating of a white jogger in Central Park. Salaam was arrested at age 15 and imprisoned for almost seven years.

“For me, this means that we can really become our ancestors’ wildest dreams,” Salaam said in an interview before the election.

Salaam was arrested along with Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Raymond Santana and Korey Wise and accused of attacking a woman running in Central Park. DNA evidence linked another man, a serial rapist, to the attack. The city ultimately agreed in a legal settlement to pay the exonerated men $41 million.

The crime dominated headlines in the city, inflaming racial tensions as police rounded up Black and Latino men and boys for interrogation. Former President Donald Trump, then just a brash real estate executive in the city, took out large ads in newspapers that implored New York to bring back the death penalty. 

When Trump was indicted in New York earlier this year on charges of falsifying business records, Salaam mocked him with his own ad on social media mimicking Trump’s original newspaper ad.

“Over 30 years ago, Donald Trump took out full page ads calling for my execution,” Salaam tweeted in April. “On the day he was arrested and arraigned, here is my ad in response.”

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Hulk Hogan's death resurfaces painful contradictions for Black wrestling fans

Resurgence of Conflicted Emotions Among Black Wrestling Fans Following Hulk Hogan’s Death

One of Kazeem Famuyide’s earliest memories is sitting on his father’s lap…
Grimsby park scene with pond and fountain.

27-Year-Old Man Arrested for Allegedly Soliciting Children for Sexual Acts in Park

A 27-YEAR-OLD man has been arrested after he allegedly touched himself while…
Gwyneth Paltrow sitting at a table.

Astronomer Company Hires Gwyneth Paltrow for Playful Coldplay-Themed Video

Yesterday, GWYNETH Paltrow was brought on by the troubled company Astronomer, following…
RedState Sports Report: Brother, Can You Spare a Relief Pitcher?

RedState Sports Update: In Need of a Relief Pitcher? Help a Brother Out!

Welcome to the sports desk of the Good Pirate Ship RedState, tucked…
A woman holding a baby on her lap.

Mother Whose Baby Was Ejected from Car After Beach Drinking Incident Avoids Jail Time

A MUM has avoided jail after her baby boy was thrown from…
Europeans meet with Iranian officials face-to-face for first time since Israel, US bombings as sanctions loom

European Officials Hold Direct Talks with Iran Amidst Escalating Tensions and Potential Sanctions

European diplomats met with Iranians on Friday face-to-face for the first time…
Trump administration to release withheld grants for education programs

Trump government plans to distribute previously withheld funding for educational programs

On July 1, President Donald Trump’s administration put a hold on $6…
Malnourished child held by his mother in a tent.

Israel Approves Parachuted Foreign Aid to Gaza Amid Ongoing Bombardment and International Calls for Ceasefire

ISRAEL will allow foreign aid to parachute into Gaza despite continuing its…
Butta testifies in Ksoo trial on Day 3 as part of plea deal

Witness ‘Butta’ Takes the Stand in Ksoo Trial on Day 3 Following Plea Agreement

Barner confessed to his role in the shooting. He has agreed to…
Woman describing terrifying Southwest Airlines flight experience.

Southwest Flight Passengers Panic After 30-Foot Drop to Evade Second Plane Due to Pilot Losing Contact with Air Traffic Control

A PASSENGER on board the Southwest flight that plummeted mid-air to avoid…
Southwest Airlines flight headed to Las Vegas takes dramatic plunge in response to nearby aircraft

Southwest Airlines Flight to Las Vegas Makes Sudden Descent to Avoid Nearby Aircraft

LAS VEGAS (AP) — On Friday, a Southwest Airlines plane bound for…
Congressman Robert Garcia believes Ghislaine Maxwell met with Trump DOJ seeking pardon

Representative Robert Garcia suggests Ghislaine Maxwell approached the Trump Department of Justice for a pardon

The day following a stunning revelation in the Wall Street Journal regarding…