For Immediate Release: December 11, 2024
Contact: media@colorofchange.org
COLOR OF CHANGE REACTS TO ACQUITTAL IN JORDAN NEELY’S MURDER
National – This week, a jury of 12 New Yorkers reached a verdict in the case of Daniel Penny who was on trial for the murder of Jordan Neely. Neely was a 30-year-old unhoused man, known for his soulful Michael Jackson impersonations. Daniel Penny, a civilian, choked Neely to death in July 2023 in a New York City subway station. Penny was originally charged with criminally negligent homicide but was acquitted by the jury on Monday, December 9. Communities everywhere are outraged.
Portia Allen-Kyle, Managing Director of Color Of Change, issued the following statement:
“The acquittal of Daniel Penny in the killing of Jordan Neely is heartbreaking and maddening. For Black people in this country, the fight for justice and accountability remains a constant struggle. Jordan Neely deserved compassion and access to mental health services. Instead, he was met with violence. He should be alive today. And his murderer should be facing the consequences of his actions.
Instead, we are seeing the consequences of a system that rewards vigilantes like Jordan’s murderer. Jordan Neely was vilified in the media for his mental health state and lack of housing — conditions forced onto him in a city with rampant poverty and a justice system that historically has failed Black people. Unhoused people are more likely to become victims of violent crimes, yet the narrative of “dangerous homeless people” is pervasive and influenced this unjust verdict. We must reject the normalization of vigilante justice. Murder should never become a societal norm.
Although our community is jaded by this outcome, we implore members to stay motivated in the fight for justice, and demand for more resources to the un-housed in New York City. What happened to Jordan Neely will continue to happen until appropriate resources are allocated towards New York City’s mental health infrastructure.”
Color Of Change is open to comment on this matter.
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ABOUT COLOR OF CHANGE:
Color Of Change is the nation’s largest online racial justice organization. We help people respond effectively to injustice in the world around us. As a national online force driven by millions of members, we move decision-makers in corporations and governments to create a more human and less hostile world for Black people in America. Visit www.colorofchange.org