Exonerated Central Park Five defendant keynotes MLK Convocation
HFC and Macomb Community College are partnering with Oakland Community College to present the 2025 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Convocation – “When They See Us: A Journey of Resilience and Justice” on Thursday, January 16, 2025 from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m. This free event is virtual.
The keynote speaker will be Yusef Salaam, a member of the New York City Council. One of the “Central Park Five,” Salaam will share his story of profound resilience and commitment to justice, serving as a beacon of hope and inspiration.
Salaam’s insights into prison reform, Black male achievement, juvenile justice, civic responsibility, and community engagement will equip and empower you to make positive change. He will share his personal journey, shedding light on the devastating impact of systemic inequities and offering a powerful narrative of healing, advocacy, and transformation.
Wrongly convicted in the 1989 Central Park Jogger case
On April 19, 1989, when Salaam was 15, he and four other young Black and Latinx men – Anton McCray, Kevin Richardson, Raymond Santana, and Korey Wise – were tried and convicted in the “Central Park Jogger” case, in which a Caucasian woman named Trisha Meili was sexually assaulted while she was jogging. Authorities accused the five of committing this heinous crime, and they confessed. The five later claimed their confessions were coerced by the police beating and threatening them. Salaam accused the police of depriving the five of food, drink, and sleep for more than a day.
From the onset, this case became a topic of national interest. It also became a prominent example of racial profiling, discrimination, and inequality in both legal system and the media. (NOTE: Matias Reyes confessed to assaulting Meili in 2002 and is currently in prison).
Even though the five were innocent of the crime, they were convicted in 1990, spending between 7-13 years in prison. Salaam was released in 1997. All of their convictions were vacated in 2002 as the “Central Park Five” became the “Exonerated Five.” In 2014, the Exonerated Five filed a civil rights lawsuit against the City of New York, which paid them $41 million.
Better, not bitter
Since then, Salaam has become a board member of the Innocence Project and a staunch advocate for criminal justice reform, particularly for juveniles. In 2016, President Barack Obama gave him a Lifetime Achievement Award. Salaam was elected to the New York City Council in 2023. He also authored his bestselling memoir called Better, Not Bitter: The Power of Hope and Living on Purpose, which NPR named a Best Book of 2021.
Salaam’s story has been featured in renowned documentarian Ken Burns’ 2012 documentary The Central Park Five. Netflix’s 2019 miniseries When They See Us dramatized the Central Park Jogger case. In 2022, the "Gate of the Exonerated" was dedicated at the northern end of Central Park to honor the Exonerated Five.
Salaam now travels the world as an inspirational speaker, talking about the effects of incarceration and the devastating impact of disenfranchisement. He is an advocate and educator on issues of mass incarceration, police brutality and misconduct, media ethics and bias, race and law, and the disparities in the criminal justice system, especially for men of color.
Embodies the principles of resilience and justice
HFC Executive Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) Tracye Y. Davis was one of the architects of this event. She is excited that Salaam will speak to students from HFC, OCC, and MCC.
“When we consider the 2025 MLK Convocation theme, almost no one more embodies the principles of resilience and justice as perfectly as Dr. Yusef Salaam. He has chosen to live his life as ‘better, not bitter.’ His commitment to service through his Equity and Empowerment Agenda includes housing justice, economic justice, human infrastructure, justice + safety, and environmental justice,” said Davis. “From being wrongly convicted, spending several years incarcerated for a crime he did not commit, and famously having a notable celebrity publicly calling for his execution, to being exonerated and dedicating his life to fighting for others, the lessons we can learn from this personal conversation with Dr. Salaam will teach all of us to persevere beyond just how others see us.”
“I'm honored to participate in this event,” said HFC President Russ Kavalhuna, who will also speak at the 2025 MLK Convocation. “The themes of resilience and justice are ever-present, and as relevant today as ever. The interplay between the two, and learning how we can live in ways that foster growth in resilience and justice among those around us, is critically important. I hope everyone will decide to join us online for this event."
For questions or more information about the 2025 MLK Convocation, contact the OCC Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice at deij@oaklandcc.edu.