Exonerated Central Park convict — ‘Better not Bitter’
Book cover of “Better Not Bitter” by Yusef Salaam.
Caribbean Life, AUGUST 20-26, 2021 11
Call it chance, fate, destiny or
plain old redemption Yusef Idris
Faadel Abdus Salaam has more
than a few words to explain his
life’s journey.
Fact is an abbreviated form of
the name targeted Yusef Salaam
a “wilding” “rapist” criminal
teenager who with friends almost
murdered a 28-year-old white
woman.
Many might recall his notorious
emergence on the front pages
of New York’s four leading newspapers
April 1989 as the tallest of
teens caught in a dragnet by the
NYPD with Korey Wise, Antron
McCray, Kevin Richardson and
Raymond Santana racially profiled
as guiltless abusers dubbed
the Central Park Five.
Salaam was 15 years old.
He mustered more than words
but sentences and paragraphs
to compile a 285-page book he
titled “Better Not Bitter.”
Media consensus concluded
Salaam and cohorts raped,
assaulted and left jogger Patricia
Miele near dying in a wooded
area of the Manhattan expanse.
While the other teenagers
delivered coerced confessions,
Salaam with guidance from his
fierce and relentless mother, Sharonne
remained close-mouthed
in defiance of the NYPD, the
media, the Manhattan District
Attorney, Donald Trump and theorists
who were convinced the
Black youths committed the heinous
crime.
Although intimidating to the
teenager, an interrogation room
provided the kind of atmosphere
police delighted in winning convictions.
Salaam lived at Schomburg
Plaza, directly across from the
sprawling green.
He referred to it as his backyard
because there was where he
skateboarded, rode to school and
met with friends.
When he was told about the
brutality that occurred there he
was as appalled as many New
Yorkers who awakened to the
horrific news.
He said he was unaware of the
tragedy and was shocked to learn
he was a suspect.
New Yorkers were enraged,
they wanted a fast resolution.
They needed a safe place to
run, jog and walk their dogs.
It was up to the NYPD to bag
the case with rapidity.
In a matter of days, one by
one, they named five 14, 15 and
16-year-old Harlem youths the
Central Park Five.
They were vilified, persecuted
and convicted even before the
1990 trial.
Salaam’s Muslim faith might
have been responsible for the
Black and proud façade mother
and child fortitude exhibited
throughout the trial when they
both walked daily into the Canal
St. courtroom to defend their
reputation.
It was evident that neither
would bow to pressure.
Not from seething protests
by members of the Guardian
Angels, not from celebrity
sympathizers of the jogger —
who was revealed to being an
investment banker — and most
definitely not from the squeeze
from $85,000 worth of full-page
opinion ads placed by a tax evasive,
accused sex abuser, science
denying real estate mogul who
became president.
Eventually as expected,
Salaam and four Harlem teens
were found guilty as charged.
One would imagine, that
would be it.
Locked away for the rest of
their youth, the case was supposedly
closed.
Compelling evidence –a rock –
introduced as similar to one used
to bludgeon the unwary jogger;
video-taped confessions – presented
as voluntary admissions
of criminal behavior, and without
tangible evidence of DNA a jury
decided the district attorney’s
office presented a plausible and
convincing case for conviction.
Catch You On The Inside!
Inside Life
By Vinette K. Pryce
10 30 PM
PLEASE PLAY RESPONSIBLY.
You must be 18 years or older to purchase a lottery ticket.
Struggling with a gambling addiction? Call the HOPEline 1-877-8-HOPE-NY
(1-877-846-7369) or text HOPENY (467369). Standard text rates may apply.
NYLResponsiblePlay.com Recyclable
Tickets
GET A 2ND TAKE OF TAKE 5
NOW DRAWING
TWICE DAILY!
©2021 New York Lottery
AM
AM
PM 230
/NYLResponsiblePlay.com