Plog Number 198
Yusef Salaam
Hello Ploggers, how are you. If you are working I hope you work the job and don’t let the job work you. If you are off, I hope you Carpe Diem. Either way, enjoy the people and things that you love. I truly believe that life is a🎁 gift that we only get to have for a short time.
Many of my Plogs are about sad and negative things. I always feel that festering sores need to be aired out so that they can heal. But this Plog has a story 📖 book ending and I 💓 love it. This one is especially gratifying because it gives a back hand to 45 while simultaneously telling an uplifting story. It is truly a“two-for”.
Back on April 19, 1989, a 28 year old white woman (Trisha Meili) was raped in New York Central🌿 Park. Although badly attacked, she managed to survive but had no memory of that day. There were five black and hispanic defendants aged 14-16. One of the defendants was Yusef Salaam. All Five defendants confessed to the crime. Forward to December 19, 2002 the convictions of all five were overturned based on DNA evidence. Mr. Salaam had already served 6 years and 8 months for this crime that he did not commit. The reversal was based on 1. False Confessions and 2. Improper Forensic Science. 3. Also another man, named Matias Reyes later confessed to the rape. Reyes was incarcerated for several other sexual assaults, in the same area when he confessed. His confession was supported by DNA evidence. Reyes confessed that he was the only actor. The city of New York paid the five men $41 million in 2014, a decade after being sued for their handling of the case.
Enter 45, preceded by a cloud of dark smelly 💭smoke and ominous music. In 1989 he took out a full page ad two weeks after the attack in 4 New York 📰 Newspapers. He always overdoes things. His ad read “BRING BACK THE DEATH PENALTY BRING BACK OUR POLICE” He never mentioned that they were black but everyone knew that they were. That is his trademark dog 🐶 whistling style. Even after the overturn, 45 continued to rant and rave and stir the 🔥flames of racism and hate. He said things like “innocent of what, how many people did they mug?” That was June 29, 2013. Even after the legal award of $41 million he said “settling doesn’t mean innocence” and “the settlement is a disgrace and the heist of the century”. Up until he ran for President in 2016 he maintained that the overturn was a mistake and that the 5 had confessed. He failed to acknowledge that the confessions and the DNA evidence were faulty and possibly racially motivated. He never mentioned Reyes either.
Now for the best part. Yusef Salaam has now grown up and ⛅️ turned his life around. He is an inspirational 🔊 speaker, prison abolitionist, reform activist, award winning public speaker and author. He and the other 4 are now known as The Exonerated Five. Salaam has won the primary for NYC Council seat in Harlem. I imagine he will be on the ballot in the November election. I would love to see him run against and win a statewide race against George💩 Santos. There is some flap about him calling himself a doctor when he does not currently have the degree. But at age 49, I would encourage him to go to school and get the easiest doctorate he can to add to his pedigree. I hope to see this guy go far. And at every turn he should give a 👀 wink to 45 for being such a d*ck to him when his life was in a downward spiral. Because it has got to be🍭 sweeter in its current direction. I told you that was a good story and a two-for 👏 RECLAIM!
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