Yusef Salaam is an American author and public speaker known for his advocacy work related to criminal justice reform. He gained national attention as one of the Central Park Five, a group of five Black and Latino teenagers wrongfully convicted of a crime in 1989. After serving years in prison, their convictions were overturned in 2002 when another man confessed to the crime. Since his exoneration, Salaam has focused on raising awareness about wrongful convictions and systemic issues within the criminal justice system. He has written books and participated in various speaking engagements to share his story and promote social change.