News & Press

As the written accounts of this public, modern-day, lynching have been reported on, we are faced with the 4-minute-long video documenting Jordan Neely’s murder. Staring at our phones, and our laptops, scrolling through social media – we witness a murder. Jordan Neely’s life is extinguished on a reel, shuffled into the endless videos of food, dance, and comedy. One more video, one more Black man murdered.

 

It is clear in the footage that this man’s life, like so many other Black men, is not valued. No one on that train thought about his well-being, not one person thought about his life. Other passengers stand by and watch. Two passengers assist with the murder. One passenger is heard complimenting the assailant on his technique.

 

The reporting of this homicide further desecrated Jordan Neely’s life by the words that were chosen to be written. Jordan is referred to as a vagrant, unhinged, and a repeat offender. His murderer is referred to as a blond man, a straphanger, and even as a hero.

 

Jordan Neely was murdered on the F train on Monday, May 1, 2023. He was murdered by a White man. He was murdered in front of a live audience and his murder was then broadcast to the world. And although we are all witnesses to this homicide, there has been no arrest.

 

The continual messaging that both demonizes and dehumanizes people who have a mental health diagnosis, is feeding a public mindset that encourages fear and incites violence against them. We know this is true by the memorialized killing of Jordan Neely.

 

We must work harder to change policies that promote this mindset. We must work harder to protect those who are experiencing a crisis of health, a crisis of life. Jordan Neely was in crisis. He needed assistance, he needed food and shelter. He needed care. And despite all accounts that he was not violent, nor did he harm anyone, he was attacked and he was murdered.

 

Disability Rights New York is committed to being a resource to assist policymakers in order to affect this change. We cannot and will not stand by while the lives of our community members with mental health diagnoses are criminalized and murdered.