Yusef Miller was born into a Muslim family in Chester, Pennsylvania, and joined the U.S. Navy after high school. He retired after 24 years of active-duty service as a Chief Hospital Corpsman at Camp Pendleton, serving as an EMT, laboratory technician, and clinic manager, with responsibilities spanning emergency care, medical administration, education, and research. After retiring from the military, Yusef devoted himself to social justice work through interfaith and community-based efforts across San Diego County, addressing disparities related to race, religion, gender, and immigration status. He currently serves on the board of the Islamic Society North County (Escondido Musullah).

Yusef is a social justice advocate and Executive Director of the North County Equity and Justice Coalition, Saving Lives in Custody California, and Activist San Diego. His work includes police and mental health reform, where he has engaged law enforcement leaders to advance de-escalation policies and accountability measures, including legislation such as SB 519, AB 268, and AB 847. He is Chair of the Criminal Justice Committee of the North San Diego County NAACP and the founder of Pink Crescent, a breast health awareness initiative, and Mosques Against Trafficking, which combats human trafficking in San Diego County. Yusef also promotes environmental equity, advocating for clean air, water, and soil in communities most impacted by environmental injustice.