Raymond Santana, Yusef Salaam, and Kevin Richardson, who are part of the "Central Park Five" at the 73rd annual Peabody Awards. Image is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Wrongly-accused man part of ‘Central Park Five’ runs for political office in NY

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Yusef Salaam, one of the “Central Park Five” who was falsely accused of beating and raping a White woman in 1989, announced on Tuesday his candidacy for New York City Council.

Raymond Santana, Yusef Salaam, and Kevin Richardson, who are part of the "Central Park Five" at the 73rd annual Peabody Awards. Image is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Raymond Santana, Yusef Salaam, and Kevin Richardson, who are part of the “Central Park Five” at the 73rd annual Peabody Awards. (Credit: Peabody Awards – Image is licensed under CC BY 2.0.)

Salaam is now one of three candidates that will square off in the June 27 Democratic primary to represent the Harlem district. Salaam is facing New York Assembly members Al Taylor, and Inez Dickens, 73. The contest is expected to be a fierce challenge for Salaam who is facing two career politicians in Dickens and Taylor.

Salaam was 15 years old when he and four other teens were arrested, serving five to 12 years behind bars. He was exonerated in 2006, and the City of New York ultimately agreed in 2014 to pay the exonerated men $41 million.

Salaam served nearly seven years behind bars.

More about Salaam’s run for New York City Council can be found here.

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