Yusef Salaam Shares Message of Justice, Faith, and Legacy at Notre Dame Law School
As part of Notre Dame Law School’s inaugural Death Penalty Abolition Week, the Black Law Students Association (BLSA) organized “A conversation with Dr. Yusef Salaam of the Exonerated Central Park 5” and welcomed Yusef Salaam to speak to an audience of about 100 including students, faculty, and staff from across the University of Notre Dame, and the broader South Bend community. The event focused on Salaam’s personal story, reflections on the criminal justice system, and the importance of long-term thinking and personal purpose.
Salaam is one of the Exonerated Central Park Five. At age 15, he was wrongfully convicted in the 1989 Central Park Jogger case and spent nearly seven years in prison before DNA evidence and a confession from the actual perpetrator led to his exoneration. His story has become a widely recognized example of wrongful conviction and systemic injustice.
During his remarks, Salaam spoke about the power of media and public perception in shaping narratives, “I remember there were big bold headlines, and what happens with big bold headlines is that it causes the negative residue to stick in the minds of the people who might not be paying attention on a daily basis. One day it said, ‘DNA evidence,’ and in smaller headlines, ‘DNA did not match.’” He explained how initial headlines casting him as guilty stuck with the public, while later information, such as the DNA evidence that cleared him, received far less attention.
He also emphasized the role of faith, family, and resilience in his journey. He recalled a formative moment during his interrogation, when he was finally allowed to see his mother. Instead of offering comfort, she gave him clear direction, “They need you to participate in whatever they are trying to do. Do not participate. Refuse.” He said those words became a foundation he carried through his time in prison and continue to guide him today.
Salaam encouraged students to think beyond immediate plans and to consider their long-term impact. He challenged them to look at their lives in terms of generational change, not just five-year goals, “The best thing you can do as students is live in the present, future tense of self. You are, right now, inside of someone else’s plan. It's not enough for you to have a five-year plan. I need you to have a 50-year plan at minimum. And if you are like me and you're a big dreamer at 51, I'm saying I want a 100-year plan,” he said, adding that students have the opportunity to shape the future through their actions now.
The event offered a powerful opening to the week’s programming, bringing personal perspective to broader discussions around justice reform and the death penalty. Salaam’s message emphasized both the deep flaws in the system and the potential for individuals to create lasting change.
Read more about Notre Dame Law School’s inaugural Death Penalty Abolition Week at law.nd.edu/news-events/news/notre-dame-law-schools-inaugural-death-penalty-abolition-week-brings-together-exonerees-advocates-and-faith-leaders/.
Learn more about Notre Dame Law School’s Black Law Students Association (BLSA) at law.nd.edu/student-life/grow-here/student-organizations/affinity-groups/blsa/.
Reflections from Attendees:
Nicholas Smith, 2L and BLSA President:
“Having Dr. Yusef Salaam speak at Notre Dame Law School was deeply impactful for our community, especially at a time when so many feel disillusioned by the failures of our legal system. His powerful testimony reminded us that even in the face of injustice, faith, resilience, and the pursuit of truth will prevail. We left encouraged that no matter what we endure, God’s love will always shine through, and the plans of the devil will not succeed!”
Allyson Lazarre, 2L and BLSA Treasurer:
"Meeting Dr. Salaam was very encouraging and empowering. I think my main takeaway from his talk—and from speaking with him—is that you cannot let your frustration and anger at what goes on within the criminal justice system, make you bitter or hopeless. Instead, take that anger and frustration and use it to fuel you to be the change that you want to see."
Tori Murry, 1L and incoming BLSA President:
"Dr. Yusef Salaam helped me conceptualize what it means when I hear people say that forgiving someone is not about them; it's about you. I will never forget Dr. Salaam's words: 'Being bitter is like drinking poison and expecting your enemy to die.'"
Kaitlyn Bowe, 3L and former BLSA Secretary:
"The conversation with Dr. Yusef Salaam was captivating and inspiring. From being wrongfully convicted as a member of the Central Park Five to becoming an advocate for criminal justice reform, his journey is a testament to the power of resilience in the fight against injustice. Dr. Salaam encouraged us to dream big, set long-term goals, and never let fear hold us back. He taught us that anger can be harnessed productively to promote change. I left the conversation feeling incredibly hopeful for the future, inspired by his belief that we each have the ability to make a meaningful difference."
Emily McLane, 3L:
"It is critical to raise awareness over the harmful effects of the death penalty, particularly the arbitrariness with which it is applied, its attack on human dignity, and, most importantly, the risk that it punishes someone who is innocent. As an intern at the Exoneration Justice Clinic, I research and investigate claims of those who have been wrongfully convicted. It is easy to go along with a narrative of condemnation to justify the death penalty, to use politics to appear ‘tough on crime.’ As Dr. Salaam highlighted in his talk, he and the four other men—just young teenagers at the time—were targeted by this harmful narrative, when in fact they were innocent. It is important to remember that a person is and will always remain a human being, and it is not the State's job to ‘play God.’ The death penalty should never be imposed, whether a person is innocent or guilty."
Adam Miller, 3L:
"Pointing to a full-page ad in The New York Times that sought his death, if there is anyone who can counsel us to be 'better, not bitter' it has to be Dr. Yusef Salaam. He was a boy, condemned without question, his DNA shown to exclude him even before trial. What I continue to hear are Dr. Salaam's words that what happened to him is no one-off but clockwork: the manifestation of a criminal 'injustice' system working just as intended by people in power. And as lawyers-to-be, we can respond to that cry."
Megan Sarsfield, 3L:
"As an aspiring prosecutor, what happened to Dr. Yusef Salaam horrifies me. A prosecutor is supposed to seek justice, but instead he suffered a gross miscarriage of justice. Hearing his story has inspired me to move forward in my legal career in a way that pursues justice over convictions, to be skeptical of widespread fear-mongering, to be humble and realize that law enforcement can and does make mistakes, and to advocate for change as gracefully and poetically as Dr. Salaam. Listening to Dr. Salaam’s words should be mandatory for all future prosecutors."
Lenora Popken, Notre Dame Exoneration Justice Clinic:
"I am so grateful to Dr. Salaam for sharing his story and wisdom with the Notre Dame community. Despite all the darkness our system put him through, he radiates light. His story is more than inspiring—it is a rallying call to remind us all that justice is not a passive concept, it is a living ideal that we must pursue without end."
Arienne Calingo, Marketing Communications:
"Racism remains one of the primary root causes of wrongful convictions. Innocent Black people are seven times more likely to be wrongfully convicted of murder than innocent white people—a reality we must not ignore. Dr. Salaam’s talk was poetic, inspiring, and deeply revealing, particularly in exposing how racism remains entrenched within our criminal justice system. But, a system cannot uphold justice so long as racism is present; justice and racism cannot coexist. Dr. Salaam's talk strengthened my commitment to further educate myself on the injustices that our current criminal justice system perpetuates—because staying silent in the face of injustice would be a failure of good conscience."