Yusef Salaam of the Exonerated Five has announced that he will write a memoir about his wrongful imprisonment. Salaam's new memoir, Better, Not Bitter: Living On Purpose in The Pursuit of Racial Justice, will be released through Grand Central Publishing.
“[Better, Not Bitter: Living On Purpose in The Pursuit of Racial Justice] is a candid and poignant look at the life of an American citizen, born and raised in Harlem, New York who was accused and convicted by a flawed criminal injustice system designed to ensnare and decimate as many Black and Brown bodies as possible," Grand Central Publishing stated.
Salaam is best known for his role as a member of the Exonerated Five. In 1989, he was wrongfully imprisoned along with four others for raping a woman in Central Park. Salaam served six years in a juvenile detention center before being released on parole.
“One of the most powerful lessons I learned while being wrongfully incarcerated was that instead of going through something, I was going to grow through something,” Salaam said.
“Through Better, Not Bitter, I hope to share these lessons with people around the world who – in these unprecedented times – are dealing with rage, anger and bitterness directed at a criminal system of injustice that has plagued our country for centuries.”
Since his release, Salaam has embarked on career as an activist, educator and motivational speaker. Salaam has published three books prior to this upcoming release. His most recent release, Punching The Air, arrived in September. Better, Not Bitter: Living On Purpose in The Pursuit of Racial Justice will debut in the spring.
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