Dr. Yusef Salaam served 6 years and 8 months for crimes he did not commit. In 1989, he and four other Black and Latino juveniles were tried and convicted in the “Central Park jogger” case. The media dubbed them, The Central Park Five. In 2002, their convictions were overturned and they were exonerated, becoming The Exonerated Five. But even after a confession from the actual perpetrator of the crime and DNA evidence exonerating the five, there are still people who believe they are guilty of this heinous act, to this day. 

In this episode, Dr. Yusef Salaam reflects on the events that ended with his imprisonment. Amazingly, he focuses on the beauty and grace he faced while being incarcerated for a crime he did not commit. His time in prison led to his enlightenment and now as a grown man he harbors no animosity or resentment for his wrongful conviction, or towards baseless and racists allegations that he should still be in prison. 

Dr. Yuesef co-wrote the NYTimes bestselling young adult novel, "Punching the Air" with author Ibi Zoboi. The book is about a young boy who is wrongfully incarcerated and you should definitely take the time to read it. Pick up your copy wherever good books are sold!

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