Yusef Salaam, Member of Exonerated 5, Shares Powerful Story at OHS

In a powerful presentation at Ossining High School, Dr. Yusef Salaam, a member of the Exonerated Five (formerly known as The Central Park Five), and his mother Sharonne Salaam, shared their story of injustice, strength, perseverance, and the relentless pursuit of justice.

Recently elected as a New York City councilman, Dr. Salaam addressed the notorious case from 1989, where he and four other Black and brown teenagers were wrongly convicted in relation to the assault of a white jogger in Central Park. Dr. Salaam was ultimately exonerated in 2002 after serving almost seven years in prison.

“Part of the journey that I've been on is to be able to plant the seeds of value in future communities. I have the opportunity today to be joined with my mother on stage to tell this story, a story that is a very tragic, but there's also some valuable lessons that can be learned,” Dr. Salaam said. “I hope to inspire our young people and let them to know their potential, that they were born on purpose, and that they have a purpose.”

The event was facilitated by OHS Social Studies teacher Sam North, who teaches a class on criminal justice and incarceration.

Mr. North has long been committed to providing students with a comprehensive understanding of the criminal justice system. In previous years, he had invited Dr. Yusef’s mother Sharonne to speak virtually to his students about the details and impact of wrongful convictions. This year, Sharonne suggested bringing her son to share his experiences with students firsthand.

“As an educator, I teach students about real life situations within the U.S. criminal justice system, both the good and bad. And obviously, this is a situation where things went terribly, terribly wrong,” Mr. North remarked. “This is something that has happened many times, so we're looking into the ways that can help us do better.”

Mr. North added that Dr. Yusef’s story is not an isolated incident. According to the National Registry for Exonerations, there have been 3,418 exonerations since 1989—cases in which a person was wrongly convicted of a crime and later cleared of all the charges based on new evidence of innocence.

“That’s 30,250 years lost,” emphasized Mr. North.

Dr. Salaam’s mother Sharonne also spoke passionately about the role of family support and the need for collective advocacy against injustice.

“We need to come together as one nation to change the whole system so it’s fair for all,”shared Ms. Salaam.

After the presentation, students were given the opportunity to ask questions. Senior Gavin Thomas Walters stood up and asked how he and his fellow students can begin the conversation around criminal justice reform.

"I thought it was really important to hear the voice of someone who looks like me," said Gavin.

For Ossining High School students, Dr. Salaam’s impactful presentation seemed to ignite the young leaders with a renewed sense purpose and social responsibility as they advocate for change in their communities.