WORDS of a MAN My Right to Be

WORDS of a MAN is a selection of poems written by transformational speaker, Yusef Salaam, during his wrongful incarceration (1987-1995) in connection with the Central Park Jogger case. The case attracted nationwide attention and was the subject of many articles and books, both during and after the trials. Convictions were overturned when the real rapist - a since convicted murderer serving a life sentence - confessed to the crimes and proved to be a DNA match. Ten years later, documentarian Ken Burns, his daughter Sarah Burns and her husband David McMahon released the award-winning film, The Central Park Five, which told of this travesty from the perspective of Yusef and his cohorts.. These writings - addressing a wide range of subjects from the justice system, to love, and black life in general - helped to get a young Yusef Salaam through several years of unjust imprisonment. He hopes they will be a source of inspiration for others - especially young men of color.