Hawk Newsome, leader of Black Lives Matter Greater New York, has made headlines with his fiery remarks outside the Daniel Penny trial. Following the dismissal of the top manslaughter charge against Penny, Newsome declared, “The KKK got another victory,” and suggested that anyone believing in Penny’s innocence harbors “racism in their heart.”
Newsome didn’t stop there; he speculated about the jury’s composition, implying the presence of a “white supremacist holdout.” He criticized the defense’s jury selection strategy, stating, “Logically, if you pick a white supremacist jury specialist, and you pack a jury with white people, obviously you think race has a specific role in this case.”
The incendiary rhetoric is eerily similar to the rhetoric in the days before the George Floyd riots that led to cities being burned, deaths, shootings, lootings, and public unrest for months.
The trial centers on Daniel Penny, a former Marine charged with manslaughter after placing Jordan Neely, a mentally ill homeless man, in a fatal chokehold on a Manhattan subway. The jury deadlocked twice on the manslaughter charge, leading to its dismissal and continued deliberations on the lesser charge of criminally negligent homicide.
Newsome’s comments have ignited controversy, with some accusing him of attempting to intimidate jurors. One social media user remarked, “Radical BLM activist Hawk Newsome is behind the protests outside the courthouse, trying to … .”
This case has become a focal point for discussions on race relations and justice, with Newsome asserting, “Racism has its tent … .”
As the trial progresses, tensions remain high, with the public closely watching the jury’s deliberations on the remaining charge.
