Front Burner - The Central Park Five’s Yusef Salaam on life after wrongful conviction

Episode Date: October 12, 2020

When Yusef Salaam was 15, he and four other teenage boys were falsely accused of raping a woman in New York's Central Park. Salaam was imprisoned for nearly seven years before he was exonerated. His life story has inspired a new book called Punching the Air, which he co-wrote with young adult novelist Ibi Zoboi. Salaam and Zoboi talk to host Josh Bloch about why the stories and perspectives of Black youth are so important right now, and how they connect to the global movement against anti-Black racism in America.

In the Dragon's Den, a simple pitch can lead to a life-changing connection. Watch new episodes of Dragon's Den free on CBC Gem. Brought to you in part by National Angel Capital Organization, empowering Canada's entrepreneurs through angel investment and industry connections. This is a CBC Podcast. It's been more than four months since George Floyd died at the hands of police in Minneapolis. Millions and millions of people in the U.S. and Canada and around the world took part in the anti-Black racism protests in the aftermath,

bringing ideas like defunding the police to the forefront of conversations. Black lives matter! It may be a moment of reckoning for some, but for others, it's the story of their lives. Last night, a woman jogger was found unconscious and partially clothed in Central Park. When Yusuf Salam was 15, he and four other teenage boys were falsely accused

of raping a woman in Central Park in New York. Five youths were arrested at 96th Street and the West Bridal Path. We believe these youths and others were responsible for two or three other incidents. Yousef was imprisoned for nearly seven years before he was exonerated. His story has been told in documentaries like The Central Park Five and Ava DuVernay's Netflix series, When They See Us. And now his life has inspired a new book he co-wrote with young adult novelist E.B. Zaboy. It's called Punching the Air, and it

follows the life of 16-year-old Amal, who was convicted for a crime he didn't commit. Today, my conversation with Yusuf Salam and E.B. Zaboy, and why the stories and perspectives of young black boys are so important right now. I'm Josh Bloch. This is FrontBurner. Yousef and Ebi, hello to you both. Hi. Thank you for having us. This novel is written in verse, and it's about a 16-year-old boy named Amal, and he's wrongfully imprisoned for a crime. Yousef, he's based on a younger version of you.

What is it about seeing the criminal justice system through the eyes of a teenage boy that was important to you? No, the biggest part that's the most important, I believe, is realizing the trap that is being set for you, that they want you to be as youthful as you can be, therefore allowing them to have all of your energy and all of your strength, all of your life. And the worst part is that most of us don't really become aware of that until we become adults. And so to really drive home the point was the opportunity for us to talk about me as a child and how my thoughts and my ideas and my awareness was really what drove me. When I think about young children today, also giving them the empowerment to believe in themselves, to let them know that they aren't crazy, that their voice matters, their thoughts matter, their ideas matter. And E.B., what about for you? I mean, I understand that part of it has to do with your own memories of the media attention around Youssef in 1989 and the Central Park case.

In New York City this morning, a jogger is fighting for her life after a brutal attack in Central Park. Viciously battered and unconscious, wearing only a jogging bra, her hands tied over her mouth. I was in the sixth grade when the Central Park Five jogger case took place. And I had a teacher who had the newspapers out every day. It left an indelible mark on me because I was looking at the images in the newspapers and looking at the boys in my classrooms and trying to put two and two together, trying to make sense of everything because the boys, these boys who were accused of such a heinous crime,

looked like the boys in my neighborhood. When they chained us up to go to another precinct, pigeons snapping. Me and Yusuf did the walk together, and we just kept our head down. When we saw the lights, we still didn't understand. I'm walking, and I'm scared, but I have my head up high, and all I think to myself, okay, the truth is going to come out. And, you know, it really messed with my sense of safety, and I didn't understand American racial politics then. But over time, as more incidents took place in New York City, I began to understand the historical relevance of how this case could have happened. And it wasn't

until I met Yousef in 1999 in college that I went after him for a news story because I knew by then that they were indeed innocents and I understood American racial politics on a deeper level. Well, in the book, Amal comes to this conclusion as well, that the trial felt like the script had already been written, that it felt almost like a stage TV show to him. The script had already been written that it felt almost like a stage TV show to him. Yeah, exactly. And that's the that's the part that I think is the big epiphany that this America that we live in, that we are experiencing today is the America that it's always been. This is the America that was imagined. Therefore, it's alive and sick and not alive and well. And the heartbeat of America is speaking out right now. The kaleidoscope of the human family sees the unfair and unjust treatment of the most marginalized of us.

And we think that we can do better. And therefore, we are asking to do better and crying out in the streets. and crying out in the streets. Yousef, the character of Amal is an aspiring visual artist and a poet. He's a scholar. And Amal says he felt weird and free at the arts high school that he attended. Is that a reflection of the kind of kid that you were? I mean, how did you see yourself back in 1989 before your wrongful conviction?

I think it is an accurate depiction, not only of myself, but of many young people. And it wasn't necessarily something that I was, that the awareness didn't come in 1989, it had always been there. You go through the education system and you realize that somewhere along the lines, you're being told that you have to pledge allegiance to the flag, for instance. And then later on in life, they tell you no taxation without representation. And so therefore, you're paying your taxes, even though you may have been slighted by the system or run over by the spike wheels of justice. And then you realize, man, we've never been treated fair. The good thing about punching the air is that it gives us the opportunity to make, so to speak, my story be the 2020 version, as opposed to giving it the same ideas and thoughts and processes.

Back then, we may not have had the description to provide for what was happening to me and happening to us in America, the United States. Now we do have those words. Now we are giving the opportunity for young people to use their words and use their voice and give that voice a platform because that matters. You were in prison for almost seven years for a crime that you didn't commit. I mean, those are formative years for so many teenagers when you learn to drive or you figure out what type of work interests you. How important was it for you? I mean, to what extent did you turn to creativity, to poetry,

in order to try and process and make sense of what was happening to you? I think that that was a big thing. You know, EB and I, we were talking about that the other day, and we were talking about, you know, being raised in a city and in a space that was the birthplace of hip-hop. And how there was always a message in the music that we heard, and there was always music in the message. And that creativity was really the... How do I say this in a way that makes the most sense?

We were robbed of the ability to have beautiful things around us. And so we created beauty in our spaces. We were robbed of the opportunity to have the same luxury that could be afforded a person that says, we are living in a place that we can appreciate the American dream. But we were living in the American nightmare. And so utilizing that opportunity to be as creative as possible was important because it was about freedom and it was about allowing your mind to creatively go where you want your body to follow. And to what extent were you able to do that when that was robbed of you even further when you were incarcerated in that, in that, for those seven years? Um, to a, to a, to a large extent, I had to really, um, do a deep dive to make sure that I

remained mentally free, even though my body was in bondage. And so it was a difficult task. But once you realize how powerful your mind is and can be, as you work on your mind, it becomes a mental workout to constantly stay free, stay mentally unaltered, if you will, even though you're being done a great wrong. In the Dragon's Den, a simple pitch can lead to a life-changing connection. Watch new episodes of Dragon's Den free on CBC Gem. Brought to you in part by National Angel Capital Organization.

Empowering Canada's entrepreneurs through angel investment and industry connections. Hi, it's Ramit Sethi here. You may have seen my money show on Netflix. I've been talking about money for 20 years. I've talked to millions of people, and I have some startling numbers to share with you. Did you know that of the people I speak to, 50% of them do not know their own household income?

That's not a typo, 50%. That's because money is confusing. In my new book and podcast, Money for Couples, I help you and your partner create a financial vision together. To listen to this podcast, just search for Money for Couples. E.B., the book not only captures Amal's experience, but it also sets it in the wider system he's a part of, what civil rights advocates call the school-to-prison pipeline, which focuses on the ways that schools can push black students into the criminal justice system. Can you explain that a bit further?

that took place in their lives that led up to that moment. And in particular, for Amal, it was just being unfairly treated in the classroom for doing things that children are supposed to do. We have all these statistics that show us that poor kids, mostly black, brown, Native American, are disciplined in ways that might be disproportionate compared to others. If we're sending them home, that environment may be filled with domestic violence. The environment might not be conducive to learning. And what happens when those young people are suspended from school?

They have three days of not being in the classroom and not being supported by supervising adults. And parents are at work in their home alone. Are they usually home? Are they out in the streets getting into further trouble? So there's a domino effect at a very young age. And while this may or may not have been Yusef's personal story, but we felt the need to put that in to this story because this is part of the conversations that are happening around criminalization of Black children. School to prison pipeline was not a conversation being had in 1989. It's definitely a conversation we're having in 2020. So we wanted to show what that looks like on the page for a character like Amal.

And you said there's an even bigger idea here as well in what you call the two Americas, separate and unequal. Can you talk a bit more about that? Yes, absolutely. You know, in America, as we are experiencing it now, we're seeing folks like George Floyd who have their humanity snuffed out from them. Eric Garner, who has his humanity snuffed out from them. Eric Gardner, who has his humanity snuffed out from him. Here's an individual who is in New York, a city that in addition to it having the words on the side of the cop cars that says to protect and serve, it also says courtesy, professionalism, and respect. And it seems that black and brown bodies are not even given CPR when they are telling the people who have been there to protect and serve them that they can't breathe.

Put your hand behind your back. You can't breathe. You can't breathe. No, we're out of the way. It's my brother. We live here. Back up this way. Everybody now back up. They are not given the same opportunity to be afforded their humanity. And yet, when you have the juxtaposition happen where someone who has a different complexion, who may do a crime that is known, instead of that person being treated in a same manner as the person who was unfairly treated, treated in the same manner as the person who was unfairly treated,

they are provided all of the justice, all of the opportunity, all of the grace that we hope that America wants to provide for all of us. E.B., as you mentioned, we're seeing a different kind of conversation around race today than back in 1989. I mean, in recent months, we've seen the Black Lives Matter movement become one of the largest protest movements in U.S. history. It's time for us to stand up in Georgia's name and say, get your knee off our necks. And it seems to have really shifted the conversation around the many forms of racial injustice that Black Americans face. What's it been like to talk about this book within that context? Well, as Yousef and I continually say, is that we could have written this book 20 years ago when we met. We just were young and didn't have the resources.

And this conversation would have still been relevant. Honestly, an national conversation wasn't happening in 1989, not to this degree. So things have changed. However, these things are still happening today. So things have changed. However, these things are still happening today. So that lets us know that racial justice was relegated to conversations now. And at what point do conversations turn into policy change? So in that sense, that's how I'm looking at it. This is part of the conversation. It starts the conversation. But I always like to say that punching the air is not just about mass incarceration or juvenile justice. It is primarily about getting into the heart and soul of a child and for the child reader to find empowerment in actually doing something with their creativity. There's not much that we can do about mass incarceration today

to change the lives of the young people who are locked up right now. But what we hope this book does is to instill a sense of purpose for that young person to say that they have a talent, they have something to say, they have skills, and they could use that skill to heal them, they have something to say, they have skills, and they could use that skill to heal them, to give them hope for the next day. Yusuf, what's been your experience about talking about this book today? I mean, on the one hand, we have this incredibly enormous Black Lives Matter movement. On the other hand, Donald Trump is the President of the United States.

I mean, he is someone who took out a full page ad calling for the death penalty for you and your co-accused before you even faced trial in the Central Park jogger case. Of course I hate these people. And let's all hate these people because maybe hate is what we need. He also said during the height of the anti-black racism protests that, quote, when the looting starts, the shooting starts. It was from the chief of police in Miami. He was cracking down, and he meant what he said. And he said, I don't even care if it makes it look like brutality, I'm going to crack down when the looting starts, the shooting starts.

It means two things, very different things. One is if there's looting, there's probably going to be shooting. How do you feel when you put those two realities together? You know, this is the ultimate level of technology, right? In America, we have been able to define it as white supremacy, white male dominance, the experience that we have collectively been sharing, whether that experience has been an experience of privilege or the denial of it. experience has been an experience of privilege or the denial of it. And I think that to see a person in power who has been really the nail in the coffin of oppression for me and for my

comrades in particular, it's been a real huge challenge. But at the same time, we realize that what we go through is something that we grow through in order to be able to rise to the challenge later on in life. And so the callous around, so to speak, the scars, right, it gives us the opportunity to realize that we don't have to walk around in fear. We don't have to worry about being trampled upon and therefore being cowards. We can actually be courageous and provide courage to other people as we stand up. I know that Amal, the 16-year-old boy in Punching in the Air, it means hope in Arabic. And for the character, it seems like hope is in creativity and in art.

Ibi, what does that word mean to, given the moment we're in right now? I think it means that where there is a light at the end of the tunnel, it can't be this way forever. And that sounds cliche. However, it's true. We cannot, young people, they cannot give up hope. You know, I'm a parent of three teens, and I encourage their creativity right now. I encourage them to draw and write and sing and dance so that they are reminded that they are still here, that their existence is not determinate on what's happening out there in the world, that there is still life to be lived.

what's happening out there in the world, that there is still life to be lived. Yusuf, do you think that art, like this powerful book that you have written, has an ability to bridge the divide between the two Americas that you spoke about? I mean, is that the intent of the book in part? Absolutely. Absolutely. One of the best things about Punching the Air, Absolutely. One of the best things about Punching the Air, I've always said, you know, people judge people by the cover or the color of their skin and not the content of their character. And the beautiful thing about Punching the Air is that when you touch the hardcover, you feel the texture, you feel the beauty of it, you see the beauty of it, and you start flipping through the pages and realize that there's artwork on the page, that the words on the page are art itself, that there's a play between black and white. And I think that for the most part, to be able to talk about things in a very profound way through art has been the way that many have had the ability to have the conversation. Ibi and Yousef, it's such a powerful story. Thank you for taking the time to speak with me today. Thank you.

Before we go today, this is Yusuf Salam and Ibi Zoboi reading from their book, Punching the Air. This is an excerpt from the poem, Dust. Amal, no matter how tall you grow, no matter how thick your beard, no matter how deep the bass in your voice, you were first my baby boy, grown into a young man, growing into a man, becoming an elder, transitioning into an ancestor, evolving into spirit, turning into breath, easing into life. You are my life and you are life itself, Amal. What I don't say, Umi, you gave me life.

You and these words are stuck in my throat like stone. Everything I don't say to Umi becomes a mountain, becomes a country of unspoken things. What I actually say, you don't have to come here so often, Umi. I know it's a long trip. How dare you say such a thing, Amal? You are not alone in this fight. I'm here with you always. Your struggle is my struggle. Your hurt is my hurt. I'm hurting because you're hurting, Amal. That's all for today. I'm Josh Bloch. Thanks for listening to FrontBurner.